OpenAI is Shutting Down TikTok-Like Sora App As Disney Cancels $1 Billion Investment

OpenAI said Tuesday it will shut down its Sora social app, a TikTok-like platform launched six months ago. The company did not provide a reason for the decision or confirm a timeline for when the app will be discontinued.

The news comes just as Disney pulled away from its previously committed $1 billion investment. This deal would’ve allowed Sora to generate content using characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars.

However, the deal did not proceed, and no funds were exchanged before the app’s shutdown. Disney said it would continue to engage with AI platforms going forward.

Sora launched as an invite-only platform and initially drew strong interest. However, user engagement did not hold over time.

The app peaked in November with about 3.33 million downloads across iOS and Android, according to Appfigures. By February, downloads declined to about 1.13 million, while ChatGPT continues to report 900 million weekly active users.

We’re saying goodbye to the Sora app. To everyone who created with Sora, shared it, and built community around it: thank you. What you made with Sora mattered, and we know this news is disappointing.

We’ll share more soon, including timelines for the app and API and details on…

— Sora (@soraofficialapp) March 24, 2026

Sora was designed as an AI-first social platform with a vertical video feed similar to TikTok. Its main feature allowed users to create realistic AI-generated videos using scanned facial data.

The feature, initially called “cameos” and later renamed “characters,” enabled users to generate videos featuring themselves or others.

Despite the capabilities of the underlying Sora 2 video and audio generation model, the app did not maintain long-term user interest.

The platform faced challenges related to content moderation. Users were able to bypass safeguards and create deepfake videos of public figures without consent.

Examples included content involving civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and actor Robin Williams, prompting their families to ask users to stop generating such videos.

Appfigures estimates that Sora generated about $2.1 million in in-app purchases, primarily from users buying additional video generation credits.

While the app’s computing costs were not detailed, its limited growth and potential risks may have contributed to the decision to discontinue it.

Although the Sora app is being shut down, the Sora 2 model will remain available through paid access within ChatGPT.

The broader availability of similar tools suggests that AI-generated video content will continue to expand across other platforms.