Sora 2 Generates Wild Videos, and OpenAI Is Already Putting Out Fires

A few days ago, OpenAI launched its new video and audio generator Sora 2, which quickly became a hit on the Apple Store. Users are generating TikTok-style videos, but this comes with enormous costs. Sam Altman, the head of OpenAI, admitted in his blog that people are creating far more content than expected. Many videos end up reaching only a small audience, increasing the use of computing power. Researchers at Hugging Face found that the energy required for longer videos quadruples when their length is doubled, meaning quadratic growth. OpenAI is now looking for ways to make it profitable, including sharing revenue with rights holders who allow their characters to be used.

Copyright Controversy

Sora 2 users quickly began creating videos featuring protected characters, sparking an uproar. One viral clip shows Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants cooking blue crystals in an underwater meth lab inspired by AMC's Breaking Bad. SpongeBob speaks in his iconic voice and tells Patrick: "Don't call it 'stuff,' Patrick. It's Blue Barnacle. The purest you'll find under the sea." Other videos show SpongeBob teaching C++ programming or mining cryptocurrency while surrounded by hardware. OpenAI originally wanted rights holders to actively opt out, but that changed after criticism. Kristelia García of Georgetown Law School noted that the company was asking for forgiveness rather than permission. Warner Bros. Discovery is suing Midjourney for copyright infringement, as are Disney and NBCU.

Brutal Videos of Deceased Celebrities

Sora 2 makes it possible to generate videos of deceased celebrities, leading to appalling results. For example, clips show Stephen Hawking, who used a wheelchair due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) until his death in 2018, in brutal scenes. In one video, we see him in a WWE ring, where muscular wrestlers knock him to the ground while a commentator shouts: "This shouldn't even be legal!" Another clip puts him in a UFC fight, where he is punched in the face and falls out of his wheelchair, accompanied by the commentary: "Hawking is in trouble." There are also videos in which he is trampled by an enraged bull, attacked by a crocodile in a river, or crashes on a skateboard in a halfpipe with smoke coming from his wheelchair. OpenAI allows historical figures, but this opens the door to such abuses. Other examples include Michael Jackson rapping, Tupac Shakur in North Korea, or John F. Kennedy talking about Black Friday discounts.

Bans and Changes in Sora 2

OpenAI responded to the chaos with bans. For example, it banned videos featuring South Park because people were generating entire episodes. Complaints appeared on Reddit that the tool now blocks a great deal of content, frustrating users. In his blog, Sam Altman promised granular controls for rights holders, similar to the opt-in model for likenesses but with additional tools. The company acknowledges the strong interest in Japanese content and plans to make rapid adjustments, much like in the early days of ChatGPT. Gabriel Petersson of OpenAI shared a video in which Sam Altman steals GPUs at Target, raising concerns about its misuse for false accusations. Drew Harwell of The Washington Post showed how easily a fake video could be created of a Black man being arrested for theft. OpenAI says it filters harmful content and respects takedown requests, but the requests are piling up.

Other Problems and Responses

Sora 2 also generates controversial videos, such as an advertisement for children's toys inspired by Jeffrey Epstein's island or a German version of a Nazi SpongeBob. OpenAI argues that transformative purposes, such as commentary or news reporting, constitute fair use and warns that without it, China would take the lead in AI. Aaron Moss, a copyright lawyer, proposed a model similar to YouTube, under which studios would receive a share of advertising revenue, but warned that thousands of clips like South Park could lead to lawsuits. Social media users question why major brands would allow their IP to be freely used for a few dollars. OpenAI plans to share revenue with rights holders who participate, but the exact model is still being tested.

Source: futurism.com