OpenAI said it is shutting down the Sora app, ending one of its biggest pushes into AI video creation just months after expanding the product into a standalone mobile experience.
In a post on X, the Sora team said it was “saying goodbye” to the app and would soon share timelines for both the app and the API, along with guidance on how users can preserve their work.
The company did not give a reason in its public statement, leaving creators, developers, and industry watchers waiting for clarity on how long the service will remain available and what the transition will look like for saved projects and workflows tied to the API.
Despite the company’s silence, users and analysts said the decision was driven by two persistent challenges: the high computing cost of running AI video at scale and rising concern over deepfakes and other abusive content.
Brief Journey, Big Numbers
Sora began as OpenAI’s text-to-video model and was opened to web users in December 2024 through sora.com. The mobile version arrived later, with OpenAI’s help pages showing invite-only iOS access beginning on Sept. 30, 2025, followed by an Android rollout in November.
During that brief run, Sora drew millions of downloads and quickly emerged as one of OpenAI’s most visible consumer bets in AI video. Public estimates suggest the app peaked at about 3.33 million downloads in November 2025 alone, while the cost of generating a 10-second clip was estimated at roughly $1.30, putting OpenAI’s daily Sora bill at as much as $15 million.
Disney Exits as OpenAI Pulls Back
The Sora shutdown also brings OpenAI’s content partnership with Walt Disney to an end.
Following OpenAI’s announcement, Disney said it respects OpenAI’s decision to move away from video generation and shift its priorities, adding it will explore other AI platforms that can use the technology responsibly and without infringing intellectual property rights.
The deal came as Hollywood and AI companies were battling over the use of copyrighted material. By signing on in December, Disney became the first major studio to allow OpenAI to use its characters in AI video tools, giving Sora users access to Disney’s intellectual property. At the time, it helped cool some of the legal tension and suggested at least part of Hollywood was open to cutting deals, not just filing lawsuits.
