OpenAI launches Sora 2 and introduces social video app

OpenAI announced Sora 2 as a major advance in AI video generation. The model adds synchronized dialogue and sound effects, more accurate physics, and greater visual fidelity. Users can generate clips that extend to 10 seconds and include more complex interactions. OpenAI also introduced “cameos,” a feature that allows users to insert their own likeness or digital character into videos, enabling remix and collaboration within the app.

The Sora app is designed as the distribution layer for these capabilities. Users can create, share, and remix short AI videos directly within the platform. The interface resembles mainstream social video apps but integrates AI generation at its core. This places OpenAI in a new strategic position, not only as a research company but also as a consumer-facing platform.

OpenAI framed its approach with a public “feed philosophy” document. The company described a system that seeks to prioritize creativity and originality rather than maximizing engagement metrics. The feed is designed to reduce algorithmic amplification of viral trends and instead highlight diverse, authentic content. OpenAI also stated it will provide users with greater control over their own feed compared with incumbent social apps.

The responsibility strategy is central to the launch. OpenAI published a system card and safety framework outlining known risks such as misinformation, impersonation, and harmful content. Mitigations include watermarks, metadata tagging, parental controls, and staged rollout by geography. OpenAI said it is monitoring outputs closely to prevent the model from generating unsafe or misleading material, with additional safeguards for younger users.

The entry into consumer platforms has business implications. By launching Sora as an app, OpenAI is no longer solely a provider of foundational models to partners. It is competing directly with TikTok and Instagram, offering users an alternative space for short-form video that is AI-native from the start. This move could reshape how AI content enters mainstream culture, testing whether audiences prefer synthetic video as a primary format.

OpenAI’s dual emphasis on responsibility and creative philosophy sets it apart from existing platforms. TikTok and Instagram are optimized for scale and engagement, often criticized for their effects on attention and information quality. OpenAI is positioning Sora differently, betting that a curated, safety-forward environment will attract both creators and viewers. The strategy will determine whether Sora can grow into a viable social ecosystem or remain a niche showcase for AI video generation.

OpenAI may have just built the Vine of the AI era. Years ago, Elon Musk was loudly demanding someone bring back Vine. He even told his own teams to do it. They never did. OpenAI just quietly did. But instead of looping six-second jokes, Sora 2 produces ten-second films with dialogue, physics, and the polish of a professional studio.

The comparison with xAI’s Grok Video is unavoidable. Grok leans into anime tropes and adolescent fantasy. It looks like it was trained for manga enthusiasts and the men who buy body pillows. Sora, in contrast, is built for the mainstream. It comes with safety systems, labeling, parental controls, and a feed philosophy that sounds like a manifesto against the viral junk economy.

This is the bigger story. OpenAI is not just upgrading a model. It is trying to build a social platform with rules, structure, and taste. If it works, Sora will not be remembered as a toy. It will be remembered as the first professional-grade social app powered end-to-end by AI video. And yes, Elon, this one actually ships.