CEO Sam Altman said the platform required massive computing resources|Steve Jurvetson|CC BY 2.0
OpenAI is shuttering its once-popular Sora video app as it shifts focus to core priorities and redirects capital, chips, and talent toward enterprise AI products.
The move also comes amid rising competition from Anthropic and Google.
Launched in 2024 and expanded into an app in 2025, Sora quickly gained traction, crossing one million downloads faster than ChatGPT. It allowed users to create short AI-generated videos and insert themselves into scenes.
However, interest later declined, with downloads dropping 45% by January, according to TechCrunch.
CEO Sam Altman said the platform required massive computing resources, which are now in short supply across the AI industry. The app, API, and website will be shut down soon, although no exact timeline has been confirmed.
The move also ends a planned partnership with Disney, which has withdrawn from a $1 billion agreement to use its characters on Sora.
Despite Sora’s early buzz in Hollywood, the move signals OpenAI’s focus on core AI products, leaving competitors like Google in a stronger position in AI video.