AI Video After Sora: 3 Updates You Should Make Before…

In late March 2025, OpenAI announced it was discontinuing the Sora application. This decision followed months of mounting pressure regarding the misuse of the platform to generate unauthorized deepfakes of high-profile historical figures and cultural icons, including Michael Jackson, Martin Luther King Jr., and Mister Rogers. The company’s closure of the app was confirmed via a brief social media statement reported by the Associated Press.

What happened

The collapse of the Sora app was driven by systemic issues rather than technical limitations in video quality. The platform faced significant backlash due to the generation of deepfakes featuring Michael Jackson, Martin Luther King Jr., and Mister Rogers. These incidents necessitated reactive takedowns by OpenAI, which were further complicated by interventions from family estates and an actors’ union. According to industry analysis, the failure of the application highlighted a critical lack of trust infrastructure, as the technology was released to the public without adequate safeguards to manage its potential for misuse. The situation underscored a broader industry challenge where the rapid scaling of AI video capabilities has outpaced the implementation of necessary human judgment and verification frameworks.