Why OpenAI killed Sora

The Verge / 3/28/2026

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Key Points

  • OpenAI announced it would scrap its Sora video-generation app and reverse/scale back related plans inside ChatGPT, signaling a major pivot in its video AI strategy.
  • The reported rationale is that Sora’s compute costs have been very high while revenue/financial returns have not kept pace, leaving the effort hard to justify under OpenAI’s push to improve profitability.
  • OpenAI also said it would wind down a $1 billion Disney deal tied to the broader video ambitions, reflecting a recalibration of partnerships and product commitments.
  • The company is simultaneously reshuffling leadership and raising additional capital (another $10B, for a total reported round of $120B+), indicating a broader restructuring in response to financial and operational pressures.
  • Overall, the move suggests the competitive and cost-intensive nature of generative video is forcing faster, more conservative business decisions across the AI industry.
Stylized image of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, seated

On Tuesday morning, everything was business as usual at OpenAI. By the end of the day, the company had announced that it would scrap its video-generation app, Sora, and reverse plans for video generation inside ChatGPT; it would wind down a $1 billion Disney deal; it would shuffle the role of a high-level executive; and it would raise an additional $10 billion from investors, adding up to more than $120 billion total for its latest funding round.

OpenAI is now in a frenzy to turn a profit, or at least lose less money. Since its launch, Sora seems to have taken up a massive amount of compute without the financial return to justify it. Indus …

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