Disney strikes $1bn investment deal with OpenAI

Disney is the first major Hollywood studio to license parts of its catalogue to OpenAI.

As part of the three-year licensing arrangement, Sora users will be able to generate short, social videos that can be viewed and shared, drawing on more than 200 Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars characters.

ChatGPT Images will also be able to turn a few words by the user into fully generated images, drawing from the same intellectual property. The agreement does not include any talent likenesses or voices.

Among the characters available for fans to use in their creations are Mickey Mouse, Lilo, Stitch, Cinderella, Simba, and Mufasa, as well as characters from the worlds of Encanto, Frozen, Inside Out, Moana, Monsters Inc., Toy Story, Up and Zootopia, plus animated or illustrated versions of Marvel and Lucasfilm characters like Black Panther, Captain America, Deadpool, Iron Man, Thor, Darth Vader, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Leia, Stormtroopers, and Yoda.

Alongside the licensing agreement, Disney will become a major customer of OpenAI, using its APIs to build new products, tools, and experiences for its services, including Disney+, and deploying ChatGPT for its employees.

“Technological innovation has continually shaped the evolution of entertainment, bringing with it new ways to create and share great stories with the world,” said Robert A. Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company. “The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry, and through this collaboration with OpenAI, we will thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach of our storytelling through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their works.”

“Disney is the global gold standard for storytelling, and we’re excited to partner to allow Sora and ChatGPT Images to expand the way people create and experience great content,” said Sam Altman, Co-Founder and CEO of OpenAI. “This agreement shows how AI companies and creative leaders can work together responsibly to promote innovation that benefits society, respect the importance of creativity, and help works reach vast new audiences.”

The Motion Picture Association, the lobbying group of Disney, Netflix, Paramount, Amazon MGM Studios, Sony, Universal, and Warner Bros. Discovery, recently called on OpenAI to take “immediate” action on Sora2 copyright and intellectual property concerns. Discover more here.