OpenAI kills Sora
OpenAI abruptly shut down its Sora AI video app and is refocusing resources on developer-facing coding agents like Codex — Sora’s GPU costs and copyright headaches were cited as reasons for the pullback. Rival Anthropic is pushing Claude Code (now able to access and execute on users’ machines), turning the competition toward enterprise developer tooling rather than consumer creative apps. (ksl.com) (indiatoday.in)
OpenAI’s Sora team posted on X on March 24, 2026 that the company would provide “timelines for the app and API and details on preserving your work,” signaling an immediate wind‑down plan rather than a gradual product pivot. (NBC News (nbcnews.com)) The Sora standalone app moved from invite‑only iOS access on September 30, 2025 to a full public release, making the March announcement land roughly six months after that broader launch. (Forbes (forbes.com)) The Walt Disney Co. has formally stepped back from the previously announced three‑year arrangement and its planned $1 billion equity commitment, with a Disney spokesperson saying the company “respects OpenAI’s decision to exit the video generation business and to shift its priorities elsewhere.” (The Hollywood Reporter (hollywoodreporter.com)) Analysts and industry reporting circulated cost estimates that Sora’s compute bill ran into the millions per day, with one widely cited back‑of‑the‑envelope figure pegging daily GPU spending at roughly $10–$15 million; OpenAI has not publicly confirmed that per‑day number. (ComputerUser (computeruser.com)) Bloomberg reported OpenAI will shutter the Sora API and shift the Sora research team toward “world simulation” and robotics work tied to a new internal model called Spud, per a company memo attributed to CEO Sam Altman. (Bloomberg (bloomberg.com)) Anthropic’s recent moves include a Claude feature that can execute tasks on a user’s computer and a research‑preview “auto mode” for Claude Code that lets the model decide permissive actions, while several developer reports flagged a rapid rate‑limit drain in Claude Code sessions over the last few days. (CNBC (cnbc.com)) (TechCrunch (techcrunch.com)) (MacRumors (macrumors.com))
