OpenAI suspends access to Sora after alleged leak sparks controversy

OpenAI temporarily suspended access to its highly anticipated, unreleased video generation tool, Sora, on Tuesday (Nov 26), after an apparent leak of the tool by a group protesting what they describe as duplicity and “corporate art washing” by OpenAI.

The group released a project on the AI development platform Hugging Face that appeared to be linked to OpenAI’s unreleased Sora API. Using authentication tokens—likely accessed through an early access program—they built a frontend allowing users to generate videos with Sora.

This looks real – early testers have leaked access to OpenAI Sora using Hugging Face Space https://t.co/Hx1vflGsx5 pic.twitter.com/HFDd3aDT8C

— Tibor Blaho (@btibor91) November 26, 2024

OpenAI had provided free early access to Sora for hundreds of artists to test the AI video generator. However, around 20 of these artists accused the company of exploiting their unpaid labor and using their participation to enhance OpenAI’s public image.

Using the group’s frontend, users could generate 10-second videos in up to 1080p resolution by entering a short text description. Several users on X shared generated samples, many displaying OpenAI’s recognizable visual watermark.

OMG OpenAI Sora has been leaked!

Free to use now on Huggingface, link in comment

It can be shut down anytime, try it now! It can generate 1080P and up to 10s video! And the results are incredible!

9 Examples: pic.twitter.com/rIJJv5TQTo

— el.cine (@EHuanglu) November 26, 2024

However, the frontend appears to no longer be accessible, likely due to OpenAI or Hugging Face revoking access.

The group alleges that OpenAI temporarily suspended Sora’s early access for all artists after three hours.

As ReadWrite reported, the company stated in May that it was granting early access to Sora to “red teamers to assess critical areas for harms or risks” and “visual artists, designers, and filmmakers to gain feedback on how to advance the model to be most helpful for creative professionals.”

In a statement on Hugging Face, the artists said: “Hundreds of artists provide unpaid labor through bug testing, feedback and experimental work for the program for a $150B valued company.”

They added: “While hundreds contribute for free, a select few will be chosen through a competition to have their Sora-created films screened — offering minimal compensation which pales in comparison to the substantial PR and marketing value OpenAI receives.”

The group go on to say that the early access program “appears to be less about creative expression and critique, and more about PR and advertisement.” That said, they say that they are not against the use of AI technology as a tool for the arts, but do not agree with how the artist program was rolled out.

According to the Washington Post, OpenAI spokesperson Niko Felix said the company temporarily halted all user access to Sora while it investigates the situation.

He said: “Hundreds of artists in our alpha have shaped Sora’s development, helping prioritize new features and safeguards.

“Participation is voluntary, with no obligation to provide feedback or use the tool.”

ReadWrite has reached out to OpenAI for comment.

Featured image: OpenAI

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