A recent leak of OpenAI’s experimental video generator, Sora, has started a heated debate over artist compensation and transparency in AI development. A group of discontented early testers claims that OpenAI’s practices surrounding Sora amount to “art washing,” alleging the company prioritizes public relations over creative partnerships.
On November 26, 2024, a project surfaced on the AI development platform Hugging Face, revealing OpenAI’s Sora API, which is still under wraps. Using their early access credentials, a group calling itself “Sora PR Puppets” created a front end enabling users to generate short, high-resolution videos. According to Tibor Blaho (@btibor91), who examined the code, the setup was legitimate, using “hardcoded request headers and cookies” tied to OpenAI’s system.
Users could generate 10-second, 1080p clips for a brief period by simply typing descriptions. Social media buzzed with sample videos bearing OpenAI’s distinctive watermark. However, within hours, the functionality was disabled, likely due to OpenAI or Hugging Face revoking access. Reports indicate that OpenAI temporarily paused Sora’s early access program for all participants following the leak.
The group behind the leak criticized OpenAI for pressuring artists in its Sora program to praise the tool while providing minimal compensation publicly. “Hundreds of artists provide unpaid labor through bug testing, feedback, and experimental work for a [$150 billion] company,” wrote the group. They alleged the program focuses more on generating positive publicity than fostering genuine creative exploration.
While some members initially remained anonymous, the group later began identifying participants and shared a petition demanding changes. The group expressed dissatisfaction with the tight controls on Sora’s use, such as requiring OpenAI approval for sharing outputs and limiting which creators’ works are showcased.
“This early access program appears to be less about creative expression and critique, and more about PR and advertisement,” the group noted.
An OpenAI spokesperson responded, emphasizing Sora’s status as a “research preview” and the company’s commitment to balancing creativity with safety. Participation in the program is voluntary, the spokesperson said, and artists are offered free access along with other benefits.
However, they did not address the group’s concerns about limited transparency or the alleged lack of fair compensation.
The spokesperson added, “We believe AI can be a powerful creative tool and are committed to making Sora both useful and safe,” while reiterating that users must avoid sharing confidential details.
Since its debut, Sora has faced both technical and competitive hurdles. Early versions were slow, requiring over 10 minutes to process a one-minute video clip, and often produced inconsistent results. Filmmaker Patrick Cederberg revealed he had to generate hundreds of clips to achieve a usable output.
Recent updates suggest the leaked Sora is a faster, more refined version. Code analysis hints at new features like style controls, though customization remains limited. OpenAI has reportedly trained Sora on millions of hours of high-quality footage, yet it struggles to keep pace with rivals such as Runway and Stability.