Why are there so many AI videos on your social media? #AI #Sora #BBCNews

Key Concepts: Sora, Text-to-video AI, Copyright infringement, Free speech, Public figures (deceased), Likenesses, Interactive fanfiction.

Introduction to Sora and Its Rapid Adoption

Sora, the latest text-to-video artificial intelligence developed by OpenAI, has experienced an unprecedented surge in popularity, achieving over a million downloads in less than five days. This rapid adoption rate surpassed that of ChatGPT during its initial launch, indicating significant public interest and demand for advanced AI video generation capabilities.

Core Functionality

Sora is designed to generate realistic-looking videos, typically around 10 seconds in length, directly from simple text prompts provided by users. This functionality allows for the creation of diverse visual content based solely on textual descriptions.

Major Criticisms and Ethical Concerns

Despite its technological prowess and popularity, Sora has faced substantial criticism, primarily concerning two key areas:

• Copyright Material Handling: Concerns have been raised about how Sora processes and potentially utilizes copyrighted material without proper attribution or permission.
• Depiction of Deceased Public Figures: The AI's ability to generate images and videos of deceased public figures, such as Michael Jackson and Tupac, has sparked ethical debates and distress among their families. A notable instance involved Zelda Williams, daughter of the late US actor and comedian Robin Williams (who died in 2014), who publicly requested people to stop sending her AI-generated videos of her father.

OpenAI's Stance and Policy Ambiguities

An OpenAI spokesperson, in a statement to the US News site Axios, addressed some of these criticisms:

• Free Speech Interest: The company asserted a "strong free speech interest in allowing the depiction of historical figures." This suggests a defense of the AI's ability to generate content featuring figures from the past.
• Policy for Recently Deceased: For public figures who are "recently deceased," OpenAI stated that authorized individuals could request that their likenesses are not used.
• Lack of Definition: A significant ambiguity remains as OpenAI did not specify "what counted as recent," leaving the practical application of this policy unclear.

Future Outlook and Unresolved Questions

The emergence of AI-generated content like that from Sora raises fundamental questions about its nature and future implications. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has suggested that some of this AI content could be considered "interactive fanfiction." However, it remains uncertain whether these videos will lead to significant legal challenges or public scrutiny, potentially forcing OpenAI to face a "grilling in the civil" (implying legal or public accountability).

Synthesis/Conclusion

Sora represents a significant leap in text-to-video AI technology, demonstrated by its rapid user adoption. However, its capabilities have quickly brought to the forefront complex ethical and legal challenges, particularly regarding copyright and the digital representation of deceased individuals. OpenAI's current policies offer some mitigation for "recently deceased" figures but lack clear definitions, leaving many questions unanswered. The ongoing debate over whether such content constitutes "interactive fanfiction" or demands stricter regulation highlights the need for evolving frameworks to address the societal impact of advanced AI.