Researchers define what counts as a world model and text-to-video generators do not

THE DECODER / 4/12/2026

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Key Points

  • Researchers propose OpenWorldLib to standardize how the field defines “world models,” aiming to reduce fragmentation across related work.
  • Their definition intentionally excludes text-to-video generators (e.g., OpenAI’s Sora) to keep the scope focused on a specific class of model capabilities.
  • The effort is positioned as a methodological framework rather than a new model release, clarifying what should qualify for “world model” research.
  • By drawing a clear boundary between world models and generative video systems, the work may influence how results are categorized, compared, and evaluated going forward.

An international research team wants to bring order to the fragmented world model research landscape with OpenWorldLib. Text-to-video models like Sora are explicitly left out of their definition.

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