Disney invests $1 billion in OpenAI, licenses 200+ characters for Sora AI video generator

Disney invests $1 billion in OpenAI, licenses 200 characters for AI video app Sora

On Thursday, The Walt Disney Company announced a $1 billion investment in OpenAI and a three-year licensing agreement that will allow users of OpenAI's Sora video generator to create short clips featuring more than 200 Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars characters. It's the first major content licensing partnership between a Hollywood studio related to the most recent version of OpenAI's AI video platform, which drew criticism from some parts of the entertainment industry when it launched in late September. "Technological innovation has continually shaped the evolution of entertainment, bringing with it new ways to create and share great stories with the world," said Disney CEO Robert A. Iger in the announcement. "The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry, and through this collaboration with OpenAI we will thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach of our storytelling through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their works." The deal creates interesting bedfellows between a company that basically defined modern US copyright policy through congressional lobbying back in the 1990s and one that has argued in a submission to the UK House of Lords that useful AI models cannot be created without copyrighted material. Tech companies that build AI models traditionally gather those materials without rightsholder permission due to the sheer number of examples needed to train a reasonably useful generative AI model. However, since breaking out with the mainstream success of ChatGPT and becoming flush with investment cash (and facing some gnarly lawsuits), OpenAI in particular has taken steps to license content from IP owners after the fact. Under the new agreement with Disney, Sora users will be able to generate short videos using characters such as Mickey Mouse, Darth Vader, Iron Man, Simba, and characters from franchises including Frozen, Inside Out, Toy Story, and The Mandalorian, along with costumes, props, vehicles, and environments. The ChatGPT image generator will also gain official access to the same intellectual property, although that information was trained into these AI models long ago. What's changing is that OpenAI will allow Disney-related content generated by its AI models to officially pass through its content moderation filters and reach the user, sanctioned by Disney. On Disney's end of the deal, the company plans to deploy ChatGPT for its employees and use OpenAI's technology to build new features for Disney+. A curated selection of fan-made Sora videos will stream on the Disney+ platform starting in early 2026. The agreement does not include any talent likenesses or voices. Disney and OpenAI said they have committed to "maintaining robust controls to prevent the generation of illegal or harmful content" and to "respect the rights of individuals to appropriately control the use of their voice and likeness." OpenAI CEO Sam Altman called the deal a model for collaboration between AI companies and studios. "This agreement shows how AI companies and creative leaders can work together responsibly to promote innovation that benefits society, respect the importance of creativity, and help works reach vast new audiences," Altman said. From adversary to partner Money opens all kinds of doors, and the new partnership represents a dramatic reversal in Disney's approach to OpenAI from just a few months ago. At that time, Disney and other major studios refused to participate in Sora 2 following its launch on September 30. OpenAI's initial policy allowed copyrighted characters to appear in user-generated videos unless rights holders explicitly opted out. The LA Times reported that OpenAI had contacted talent agencies and studios before the launch, telling them that IP holders "would have to explicitly ask OpenAI not to include their copyright material in videos the tool creates." Hollywood's response to Sora 2 was swift and generally negative. According to CNBC, the Creative Artists Agency called it a "significant risk" to its clients, while United Talent Agency labeled it "exploitation, not innovation." The WME talent agency sent a memo to agents notifying OpenAI that all of the agency's clients were opted out of Sora. The Motion Picture Association also demanded "immediate and decisive action" from OpenAI. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman reversed course within days of the reaction, promising to give rights holders "more granular control" and floating a potential revenue-sharing model. The company also partnered with actor Bryan Cranston and SAG-AFTRA in October to implement new safety guardrails around likeness rights. While Disney and OpenAI are apparently friends now, the company has simultaneously taken an aggressive stance against some AI companies it has not partnered with. On Wednesday, Disney sent a cease-and-desist letter to Google, accusing the company of "infringing Disney's copyrights on a massive scale" through its AI services, including YouTube. Disney has also sent similar letters to Meta and Character.AI and filed lawsuits against image synthesis service Midjourney alongside NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Discovery. A few major questions about the deal remain unanswered, including the actual licensing fees, whether Disney content will be used to train future OpenAI models, and whether this deal is even finalized. The announcement also notes it remains "subject to negotiation of definitive agreements," so expect potential updates or clarifications ahead.

Disney signs deal with OpenAI to allow Sora to generate AI videos featuring its characters

The Walt Disney Company announced on Thursday that it has signed a three-year partnership with OpenAI that will bring its iconic characters to the company's Sora AI video generator. Disney is also making a $1 billion equity investment in OpenAI. Launched in September, Sora allows users to create short videos using simple prompts. With this new agreement, users will be able to draw on more than 200 animated, masked, and creature characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars, including costumes, props, vehicles, and more. These characters include iconic faces like Mickey Mouse, Ariel, Belle, Cinderella, Baymax, Simba, as well as characters from Encanto, Frozen, Inside Out, Moana, Monsters Inc., Toy Story, Up, and Zootopia. Users will also be able to draw on animated or illustrated versions of Marvel and Lucasfilm characters like Black Panther, Captain America, Deadpool, Groot, Iron Man, Darth Vader, Han Solo, Stormtroopers, and more. Users will also be able to draw on these characters while using ChatGPT Images, the feature in ChatGPT that allows users to create visuals using text prompts. The agreement does not include any talent likenesses or voices, Disney says. "The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry, and through this collaboration with OpenAI we will thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach of our storytelling through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their works," said Disney CEO Bob Iger in a statement. Disney says that alongside the agreement, it will "become a major customer of OpenAI," as it will use its APIs to build new products, tools, and experiences, including for Disney+. "Disney is the global gold standard for storytelling, and we're excited to partner to allow Sora and ChatGPT Images to expand the way people create and experience great content," said Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, in a statement. "This agreement shows how AI companies and creative leaders can work together responsibly to promote innovation that benefits society, respect the importance of creativity, and help works reach vast new audiences." It's worth noting that Disney has sued the generative AI platform Midjourney for ignoring requests to stop violating its intellectual property rights. Disney also sent a cease-and-desist letter to Character.AI, urging the chatbot company to remove Disney characters from among the millions of AI companions on its platform. Disney's agreement with OpenAI indicates the company isn't fully closing the door on AI platforms.

Disney and OpenAI have made a surprise deal - what happens next?

In a stunning reversal, Disney has changed tack with regard to safeguarding its copyrighted characters from incorporation into AI tools - perhaps a sign that no one can stem the tide of AI The world's best-known AI company and the world's best-known entertainment firm have come to a surprise agreement to allow AI versions of some of the most iconic characters in film, TV and cartoons to be used in generative AI videos and images. The deal may be a sign that major copyright holders see no way to hold back the flood of AI tools on the market. The Walt Disney Company has signed a deal with OpenAI that will allow the AI firm's Sora video generation tool and ChatGPT image creator to use more than 200 of Disney's most iconic characters. Meanwhile, Disney remains in dispute with another AI firm, Midjourney, over alleged infringement of their intellectual property (IP), claiming Midjourney aims to "blatantly incorporate and copy Disney's and Universal's famous characters" into their image generating tool. The suit was seen as part of an indication that copyright holders were starting to more robustly defend their rights against AI firms' unauthorised use - but some experts now believe the deal could be an indication Disney believes if you can't beat AI companies, you should join them. The characters now deemed fair game for OpenAI users include the likes of Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Simba and Mufasa from The Lion King, Moana, as well as Marvel and Lucasfilm characters, including some of Star Wars' most well-known names. While it'll be possible for users to create videos of those characters, the rights to their voices - many of which come from celebrities, such as Tom Hanks in the case of Woody from Toy Story - will not be permitted. Users will be able to create those images and videos starting in early 2026. The licensing agreement lasts three years. According to a statement released by both companies, the deal was agreed after OpenAI committed to implementing age-appropriate policies and "reasonable controls" to prevent underage users from accessing their products, as well as "robust controls to prevent the generation of illegal or harmful content, to respect the rights of content owners in relation to the outputs of models, and to respect the rights of individuals to appropriately control the use of their voice and likeness". For its part, Disney has agreed to take a $1 billion equity investment in OpenAI, and the option to purchase additional equity in the fast-growing AI firm. Some of the characters that can now be used by OpenAI tools are the same ones that Disney cited in its lawsuit against Midjourney. "This is a great opportunity for the company to enable consumers to engage with our characters on what is probably the most modern of technology and media platforms today," Disney CEO Bob Iger told CNBC. "OpenAI is both respecting and valuing our creativity." Iger also said the growth of AI was "breathtaking". In the same interview, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said "people really want to connect with Disney characters and express creativity in new ways". Despite the warm words, the deal came as a shock to many. "I'm surprised, because Disney are famously protective of their brand," says Catherine Flick at the University of Staffordshire in the UK. The company has previously strongly defended its characters' IP, including fighting to keep Mickey Mouse out of the public domain, says Rebecca Williams at the University of South Wales in the UK. However, others are less stunned by the deal. "It was clear that Disney didn't want to attack the large tech companies like Google, OpenAI and Meta because they have always seen generative AI as something that can work in their favour," says Andres Guadamuz at the University of Sussex in the UK. Guadamuz believes that the deal with OpenAI benefits Disney because of the potential it offers. "What I think will happen is that they will be using their extensive catalogue to train their own models," he says, adding that it could be used within the animation process itself. Disney will reportedly become a "major customer" of OpenAI tools. Williams worries the agreement is an indication of the general direction AI and copyright contests are heading. "It shows that companies like Disney appear to think that it's impossible to stem the tide of AI," she says. "Their strategy is to partner up with these types of companies in a bid to profit from use of their IP rather than having it stolen from them and used anyway." However, Ty Martin at licensing company Copyrightish believes other AI companies will start to meet licence holders halfway. "This is where 2026 is heading," he says. "Licensing becomes the engine of quality. AI platforms with access to strong, recognisable IP will cut through the slop trough, while unlicensed or generic content is lost." Whether it's a positive, proactive move or a defensive one born out of exasperation, the partnership depends on the agreement lasting the initial three-year term - and Flick believes it'll only be a matter of time before the deal is abandoned. "There are going to be people that will use it in ways that Disney would not normally want their brand to be used," she says. Flick adds: "This will be a good test case to see what's going to happen with the usage of this IP, and personally, I think it's going to be an exercise in seeing how long [Disney] put up with people doing things that they're not super comfortable with, with their IP."

The Disney-OpenAI Deal Redefines the AI Copyright War

On Thursday, Disney and OpenAI announced a deal that might have seemed unthinkable not so long ago. Starting next year, OpenAI will be able to use Disney characters like Mickey Mouse, Ariel, and Yoda in its Sora video-generation model. Disney will take a $1 billion stake in OpenAI, and its employees will get access to the firm's APIs and ChatGPT. None of this makes much sense -- unless Disney was fighting a battle it couldn't win. Disney has always been a notoriously aggressive litigant around its intellectual property. Alongside fellow IP powerhouse Universal, it sued Midjourney in June over outputs that allegedly infringed on classic film and TV characters. The night before the OpenAI deal was announced, Disney reportedly sent a cease-and-desist letter to Google alleging copyright infractions on a "massive scale." On the surface, there appears to be some dissonance with Disney embracing OpenAI while poking its rivals. But it's more than likely that Hollywood is embarking down a similar path as media publishers when it comes to AI, signing licensing agreements where it can and using litigation when it can't. (WIRED is owned by Condé Nast, which inked a deal with OpenAI in August 2024.) "I think that AI companies and copyright holders are beginning to understand and become reconciled to the fact that neither side is going to score an absolute victory," says Matthew Sag, a professor of law and artificial intelligence at Emory University. While many of these cases are still working their way through the courts, so far it seems like model inputs -- the training data that these models learn from -- are covered by fair use. But this deal is about outputs -- what the model returns based on your prompt -- where IP owners like Disney have a much stronger case Coming to an output agreement resolves a host of messy, potentially unsolvable issues. Even if a company tells an AI model not to produce, say, Elsa at a Wendy's drive-through, the model might know enough about Elsa to do so anyway -- or a user might be able to prompt their way into making Elsa without asking for the character by name. It's a tension that legal scholars call the "Snoopy problem," but in this case you might as well call it the Disney problem. "Faced with this increasingly clear reality, it makes sense for consumer facing AI companies and entertainment giants like Disney to think about licensing arrangements," says Sag.

Disney's $1B Deal With OpenAI Will Bring Iconic Characters to Sora AI Videos

Disney is bringing its catalog of iconic characters, from Marvel to Star Wars and Pixar, to OpenAI's Sora AI social media app, the company announced on Thursday. That means Sora users will soon be able to generate AI videos featuring any of Disney's included characters, with no fear of copyright infringement. In a wide-reaching deal, Disney is making a $1 billion equity investment in OpenAI. Disney employees will have access to ChatGPT, and the entertainment company will use APIs to "build new products, tools and experiences." Part of that deal will apply to Disney Plus, with the company saying its Disney Plus streaming subscribers will be able to watch select Sora AI videos on the Disney Plus app.

OpenAI's billion-dollar Disney deal puts Mickey Mouse and Marvel in Sora

A new three-year licensing agreement announced between Disney and ChatGPT operator OpenAI will allow the Sora video generator to create "user-prompted social videos" that feature more than 200 characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars. According to OpenAI's blog post announcing the deal: Sora will be able to generate short, user-prompted social videos that can be viewed and shared by fans, drawing from a set of more than 200 animated, masked and creature characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars, including costumes, props, vehicles, and iconic environments. In addition, ChatGPT Images will be able to turn a few words by the user into fully generated images in seconds, drawing from the same intellectual property. The agreement does not include any talent likenesses or voices. The list of characters accessible to OpenAI's generators includes Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Lilo, Stitch, Ariel, Belle, Beast, Cinderella, Baymax, Simba, Mufasa, Black Panther, Captain America, Deadpool, Groot, Iron Man, Loki, Thor, Thanos, Darth Vader, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Leia, the Mandalorian, Stormtroopers, Yoda, and many more. There's also a $1 billion investment from Disney in OpenAI with the option to invest more, a plan to deploy ChatGPT for Disney employees as it becomes a "major customer" of OpenAI's APIs across its businesses, and the companies say that Sora-generated AI slop will be available for viewing on Disney Plus next year: Under the license, fans will be able to watch curated selections of Sora-generated videos on Disney+, and OpenAI and Disney will collaborate to utilize OpenAI's models to power new experiences for Disney + subscribers, furthering innovative and creative ways to connect with Disney's stories and characters. Sora and ChatGPT Images are expected to start generating fan-inspired videos with Disney's multi-brand licensed characters in early 2026.

OpenAI Deal With Disney Will Bring 200+ Characters to Sora, ChatGPT

OpenAI and Disney have signed a three-year content licensing deal that lets Sora users generate videos featuring 200+ Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars characters. The deal protects OpenAI from IP lawsuits involving fictional Disney characters across Sora and ChatGPT. On Sora, users can view and share AI-generated videos, while on ChatGPT, they will be able to generate images. Select Sora-generated videos will also be streamed on Disney+. Both AI generators are allowed to use the fictional characters' costumes, props, vehicles, and environments. However, "the agreement does not include any talent [human actors] likenesses or voices," Disney confirms. Disney characters will come to Sora and ChatGPT in early 2026. Available characters include Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Lilo, Stitch, Ariel, Belle, Beast, Cinderella, Baymax, Simba, Mufasa, illustrated versions of the Avengers, as well as characters from movies like Encanto, Frozen, Inside Out, Moana, Monsters Inc., Toy Story, Up, Zootopia, and more. As part of the deal, Disney will also invest $1 billion in OpenAI and will use its API to build new products, tools, and experiences, while also deploying ChatGPT to its employees. This is a preliminary announcement, and "the transaction is subject to the negotiation of definitive agreements, required corporate and board approvals, and customary closing conditions," both companies said. They also affirmed their commitment to "responsible use of AI that protects user safety and the rights of creators." Hollywood agents were upset when Sora 2 came out earlier this year. The tool generates hyper-realistic videos of characters and movie scenes, and also runs a TikTok-like vertical feed. Agencies wanted OpenAI to seek permission from their clients before using their likenesses in videos, but OpenAI had adopted an opt-out policy, which, as Deadline notes, meant that IP was usable on the app until a removal request was made. While talent agencies like WME, which represents Ben Affleck, Christian Bale, Matt Damon, Denzel Washington, Jennifer Garner, and others, have opted out, Disney is opting in for its fictional characters.

Disney Invests $1 Billion in OpenAI, Strikes Licensing Deal

Walt Disney Co. agreed to invest $1 billion in OpenAI and license iconic characters like Mickey Mouse and Cinderella for use on the startup's short-form, artificial intelligence video platform. As part of the new three-year pact, OpenAI's Sora will be able to draw from from a library of more than 200 animated and creature characters -- from Lilo and Stitch to Ariel and Simba -- when generating AI videos in response to user prompts. The deal, announced Thursday, doesn't cover any talent likenesses or voices, however. So a video could feature Woody from Toy Story but without Tom Hanks' voice.

Disney making $1 billion investment in OpenAI, will allow characters on Sora AI video generator

The Walt Disney Company on Thursday announced it will make a $1 billion equity investment in OpenAI and will allow users to make videos with its copyrighted characters on Sora. OpenAI launched Sora in September, and it allows users to create short videos by simply typing in a prompt. As part of of the startup's new agreement with Disney, Sora users will be able make content with more than 200 characters across Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars. "The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry, and through this collaboration with OpenAI we will thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach of our storytelling through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their works," Disney CEO Bob Iger said in a statement. OpenAI said users will also be able to draw from the same intellectual property while using ChatGPT Images, where they can use natural language prompts to create images.

Disney invests $1B in OpenAI in deal to bring characters like Mickey Mouse to Sora AI video tool

Disney is investing $1 billion in OpenAI and will bring characters such as Mickey Mouse, Cinderella and Luke Skywalker to the AI company's Sora video generation tool, in a licensing deal that the two companies announced on Thursday. The agreement makes the Walt Disney Co. the first major content licensing partner for Sora, which uses generative artificial intelligence to create short videos. Under the three-year licensing deal, fans will be able to use Sora to generate and share videos based on more than 200 Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars characters. AI video generators like Sora have wowed with their ability to quickly create realistic clips based merely on text prompts. But a flood of such videos on social media, including clips depicting celebrities and deceased public figures, has raised worries about "AI slop" crowding out human-created work alongside concerns about misinformation, deepfakes and copyright. Disney and OpenAI said they are committed to responsible use of AI that protects the safety of users and the rights of creators. "This agreement shows how AI companies and creative leaders can work together responsibly to promote innovation that benefits society, respect the importance of creativity, and help works reach vast new audiences," OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said. Disney CEO Robert Iger said the deal will "extend the reach of our storytelling through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their works." As part of the deal, some user-generated Sora videos will be made available on the Disney+ streaming service. Disney will also become a "major customer" of OpenAI and use its technology to build new products, tools, and services. It will also roll out ChatGPT for employees.

OpenAI makes deal to bring Disney characters to ChatGPT and Sora

The move comes as OpenAI faces mounting questions about how its rapidly advancing tech is used - and as anxiety in Hollywood increases over the impact of AI on the creative industries. According to a blog post announcing the news, the list of eligible characters include those from Disney films Zootopia, Moana and Encanto - as well as characters like Star Wars' Luke Skywalker and Marvel's Deadpool. It of course also includes Mickey and Minnie Mouse. But quite how the characters will sound remains unclear, as Disney said the agreement "does not include any talent likenesses or voices". "The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry," Disney boss Bob Iger said. "Through this collaboration with OpenAI we will thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach of our storytelling." People are expected to be able to begin making the videos and images in Sora and ChatGPT in early 2026. Sora's hyper-realistic videos have proven to be popular in the US, but there have been significant criticisms from those claiming it has also led to some people creating offensive deepfakes of dead public figures. In October, OpenAI paused the video tool's ability to generate images of Dr Martin Luther King Jr after the app produced "disrespectful" depictions of the civil rights leader. The firm acknowledged the need for stronger safeguards after clips emerged showing him saying offensive things, prompting a public outcry. Other similar videos of President John F. Kennedy, Queen Elizabeth II and physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking also circulated widely. In some cases, family members called on OpenAI to stop allowing videos to be made. Zelda Williams, daughter of the late comedian Robin Williams, urged people to stop sending her AI-generated videos of her father.

Disney Agrees to Bring Its Characters to OpenAI's Sora Videos

In a watershed moment for Hollywood and generative artificial intelligence, Disney on Thursday announced an agreement to bring its characters to Sora, OpenAI's short-form video platform. Videos made with Sora will be available to stream on Disney+ as part of the three-year deal. Disney also said it would buy a $1 billion stake in OpenAI, with an additional equity investment likely to come. Disney said it would work with OpenAI to "build new products, tools and experiences" as part of the deal and "deploy" ChatGPT for its employees. "The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry, and through this collaboration with OpenAI we will thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach of our storytelling," Robert A. Iger, the chief executive of Disney, said in a statement. Disney is the first major Hollywood company to cross this particular Rubicon. Disney, Universal, Warner Bros. Discovery and the like have spent the last couple of years trying to sort through major concerns about how generative A.I. software is built, how copyright holders are compensated and how Hollywood unions may react. Disney and Universal are suing Midjourney, an A.I. image generator that has tens of millions of registered users, for allowing people to create images that "blatantly incorporate and copy" characters owned by the companies. (Midjourney has rejected the claim, saying its actions fall under "fair use.") Notably, the agreement announced on Thursday does not include any talent likenesses or voices, and Mr. Iger -- perhaps anticipating pushback in Hollywood's creative community to the agreement -- emphasized that Disney would collaborate "thoughtfully and responsibly" with OpenAI.

Disney strikes $1 billion deal with OpenAI to bring Mickey, Marvel, and more to generative video platform

Serving tech enthusiasts for over 25 years. TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust. What just happened? The Walt Disney Company has announced a $1 billion equity investment in OpenAI as part of a broader partnership that will allow users of OpenAI's video-generation platform, Sora, to create short videos featuring official Disney characters. The deal, which spans franchises including Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars, represents one of Hollywood's most significant and direct engagements with an artificial intelligence platform. Sora allows users to generate video sequences by typing descriptive text prompts. Under the new Disney agreement, users will gain legitimate access to more than 200 Disney-owned characters - ranging from Mickey Mouse to Iron Man and Darth Vader - within the Sora environment. The licensing arrangement does not include voice or actor-likeness rights, limiting generated material to visual character assets. OpenAI will also bring Disney's library to its ChatGPT Images tool, which creates still images from natural-language inputs. Disney's investment extends beyond simple licensing. As part of the three-year agreement, the studio will become a major OpenAI customer, using its models and infrastructure to build internal tools for visualization, animation, and digital production workflows. Early applications are expected to appear in Disney+ product features and employee-facing development tools that rely on ChatGPT-style interfaces for research and design support. Disney+ also plans to experiment with showcasing select "fan-inspired" videos created with Sora. These short films are intended to explore how user-generated storytelling could coexist with traditional studio content within a tightly controlled licensing framework. CEO Bob Iger framed the partnership as both a response to the accelerating adoption of AI and a continuation of Disney's long history of embracing new creative technologies. "The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry," Iger said, adding that the company's goal is to "extend the reach of our storytelling through generative AI, while protecting creators and their work." For OpenAI, the Disney agreement brings a marquee partner with unmatched name recognition and a vast archive of proprietary assets - precisely the type of licensed content that major studios have so far resisted providing to AI firms. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman called Disney "the global gold standard for storytelling" and positioned the collaboration as a model of how creative companies and AI developers can align on responsible innovation. The partnership also tackles one of Hollywood's central tensions around AI video tools: how to monetize intellectual property that users are already recreating in unlicensed or infringing ways. By formalizing access within a licensed, revenue-sharing framework, Disney hopes to channel that demand into official avenues while maintaining strict brand control. Two stills of Disney and Star Wars characters from Sora-generated videos. Disney's deal comes on the heels of smaller-scale AI experiments across the entertainment industry. In 2024, Lionsgate signed a training-data agreement with Runway, allowing the AI video company to use titles from its 20,000-film library to improve its models. Unlike that arrangement, Disney's investment is purely equity-based - no underlying film library is being used for AI training. Instead, it focuses on character licensing and product development, sidestepping the controversial issue of data sourcing for model training. The move echoes Disney's $1.5 billion investment in Epic Games earlier this year, which integrated Disney characters into Fortnite and other digital experiences aimed at younger audiences. Together, these decisions suggest a broader strategic goal: to ensure Disney's intellectual property reaches emerging platforms rather than allowing external creators - or AI tools - to use it without permission.

Disney's AI Slop Era Is Here

When Bob Iger eagerly told investors that slop was on the menu at the House of Mouse last month, the Disney CEO mentioned that the studio was in talks with a major generative AI company to power its reckless new era. It's no longer talks: Disney's disastrous turn into the AI bubble is here. This morning the studio announced it had agreed to a major deal with OpenAI that will see over 200 Disney charactersâ€"including ones from Pixar and Marvel properties, as well as Star Warsâ€"allowed to be used on its Sora video platform and in imagery generated by ChatGPT, making Disney the first major brand to license its content with the AI company. The three-year licensing deal, which remains subject to negotiation agreements and approval from both Disney and OpenAI's executive boards, does not cover the likenesses of actors or any voice rights. As part of the agreement, Disney will also become a "major customer" of OpenAI, integrating ChatGPT into its workflow as well as using the company's APIs to develop new products, tools, and experiences. "Technological innovation has continually shaped the evolution of entertainment, bringing with it new ways to create and share great stories with the world," Iger said in a statement shared by OpenAI this morning. "The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry, and through this collaboration with OpenAI we will thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach of our storytelling through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their works. "Bringing together Disney’s iconic stories and characters with OpenAI’s groundbreaking technology puts imagination and creativity directly into the hands of Disney fans in ways we’ve never seen before, giving them richer and more personal ways to connect with the Disney characters and stories they love," the Disney CEO concluded. The news comes after Disney has spent the past few years joining several high-profile lawsuits alongside other Hollywood studios to aggressively pursue generative AI platforms from the likes of Midjourney and MiniMax, that allowed users to generate imagery of its characters in breach of Disney's intellectual copyrights. Indeed, the news of the OpenAI deal comes as Variety reports that Disney lawyers sent a cease and desist letter to Google this week, accusing the company of "infringing Disney’s copyrights on a massive scale" by allowing its properties to be generated and distributed through its AI platforms. But even while doing so publicly, the studio has been internally experimenting with implementing generative AI into its movies for a whileâ€"only to have those efforts dashed by concerns with both legal ramifications and potential public backlash. Over the summer, the Wall Street Journal reported on two separate instances related to the production of the live-action Moana remake and Tron: Ares where Disney floated the use of generative AI. In the former case, it would've been reportedly used to mask over the use of Dwayne Johnson’s cousin, Tanoai Reed, to act as a stand-in for the performer on days he was unavailable. In the latter, Disney allegedly experimented with integrating a character powered by generative AI into Tron's grid of programsâ€"named "Bit," and envisioned as a potential companion for Jeff Bridges’ Kevin Flynn. In neither case did the plans come to fruition, with Disney wrapped up in legal concerns over ultimate copyright involving the use of AI, as well as fears that news of its use would engender further public enmity with the studioâ€"a fear that reached a fever pitch months after the report when Disney rode a wave of boycott calls and widespread criticism over its decision to temporarily suspend late-night host Jimmy Kimmel over comments he made on-air in the wake of the assassination of the right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk, seen as the latest in a long line of attempted capitulations made by the movie studio to the Trump administration. With its deal with OpenAI in place, those copyright concerns are seemingly no longer an issue for the studio. It remains to be seen if public backlash will be.

Disney gives the green light for AI to ruin all your favorite characters

The deal will see Disney purchase equity in OpenAI, making it part owner. Disney has been pretty litigious when it comes to AI platforms appropriating its intellectual property. In June, the company sued AI image generator Midjourney, seeking to stop the platform from creating images using characters from its IPs. Then, in September, it sent a cease-and-desist to AI chatbot provider Character.AI, again citing the platform's unauthorized use of its characters. But now, ChatGPT developer OpenAI has announced that its products will soon be able to create images and videos of all your favorite Disney characters -- with Disney's blessing.

OpenAI and Disney reach 'landmark agreement' to license characters on Sora - 9to5Mac

Disney characters are coming to OpenAI's Sora video generation app -- this time, with permission. OpenAI and Disney just announced a "landmark agreement" that will see some Sora content appear on Disney+. The deal is part of an overall $1 billion equity investment in OpenAI by Disney. The licensing agreement will last for three years to start. Disney will have the opportunity to increase its equity investment in OpenAI in the future. In addition to the licensing agreement and equity investment, Disney will gain access to OpenAI APIs "to build new products, tools, and experiences, including for Disney+," according to OpenAI. Disney will also deploy ChatGPT to its employees as part of the deal. OpenAI released Sora for iPhone at the end of September. Initially, there were very few restrictions around what kind of intellectual property users were allowed to generate. OpenAI slowly increased limits around using licensed characters without permission after the initial launch. Now OpenAI and Disney are touting the new "landmark agreement" as "a significant step in setting meaningful standards for responsible AI in entertainment."

Disney Invests $1 Billion in the AI Slopification of Its Brand

With OpenAI investment, Disney will officially begin putting AI slop into its flagship streaming product. The first thing I saw this morning when I opened X was an AI-generated trailer for Avengers: Doomsday. Robert Downey Jr's Doctor Doom stood in a shapeless void alongside Captain America and Reed Richards. It was obvious slop but it was also close in tone and feel of the last five years of Disney's Marvel movies. As media empires consolidate, nostalgia intensifies, and AI tools spread, Disney's blockbusters feel more like an excuse to slam recognizable characters together in a contextless morass. So of course Disney has announced it signed a deal with OpenAI today that will soon allow fans to make their own officially licensed Disney slop using Sora 2. The house that mouse built, and which has been notoriously protective of its intellectual property, opened up the video generator, saw the videos featuring Nazi Spongebob and criminal Pikachu, and decided: We want in. According to a press release, the deal is a 3 year licensing agreement that will allow the AI company's short form video platform Sora to generate slop videos using characters like Mickey Mouse and Iron Man. As part of the agreement, Disney is investing $1 billion of equity into OpenAI, said it will become a major customer of the company, and promised that fan and corporate AI-generated content would soon come to Disney+, meaning that Disney will officially begin putting AI slop into its flagship streaming product. The deal extends to ChatGPT as well and, starting in early 2026, users will be able to crank out officially approved Disney slop on multiple platforms. When Sora 2 launched in October, it had little to no content moderation or copyright guidelines and videos of famous franchise characters doing horrible things flooded the platform. Pikachu stole diapers from a CVS, Rick and Morty pushed crypto currencies, and Disney characters shouted slurs in the aisles of Wal-Mart. It is worth mentioning that, although Disney has traditionally been extremely protective of its intellectual property, the company's princesses have become one of the most common fictional subjects of AI porn on the internet; 404 Media has found at least three different large subreddits dedicated to making AI porn of characters like Elsa, Snow White, Rapunzel, and Tinkerbell. In this case, Disney is fundamentally throwing its clout behind a technology that has thus far most commonly been used to make porn of its iconic characters. After the hype of the launch, OpenAI added an "opt-in" policy to Sora that was meant to prevent users from violating the rights of copyright holders. It's trivial to break this policy however, and circumvent the guardrails preventing a user from making a lewd Mickey Mouse cartoon or episode of The Simpsons. The original sin of Sora and other AI systems is that the training data is full of copyrighted material and the models cannot be retrained without great cost, if at all. If you can't beat the slop, become the slop. "The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry, and through this collaboration with OpenAI we will thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach of our storytelling through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their works," Bob Iger, CEO of Disney, said in the press release about the agreement. The press release explained that Sora users will soon have "official" access to 200 characters in the Disney stable, including Loki, Thanos, Darth Vader, and Minnie Mouse. In exchange, Disney will begin to use OpenAI's APIs to "build new products" and it will deploy "ChatGPT for its employees." I'm imagining a future where AI-generated fan trailers of famous characters standing next to each other in banal liminal spaces is the norm. People have used Sora 2 to generate some truly horrifying videos, but the guardrails have become more aggressive. As Disney enters the picture, I imagine the platform will become even more anodyne. Persistent people will slip through and generate videos of Goofy and Iron Man sucking and fucking, sure, but the vast majority of what's coming will be safe corporate gruel that resembles a Marvel movie.

Disney just bet $1B on OpenAI -- and it's bringing Mickey, Iron Man and Darth Vader to Sora

A galaxy of characters is coming to Sora, and Disney+ could become home to the best AI-generated fan content In one of the boldest Hollywood-tech mashups we've seen yet, Disney is officially joining forces with OpenAI -- and the deal is about way more than money. The Walt Disney Company announced today that it's making a $1 billion equity investment in OpenAI and signing a three-year character licensing agreement that will bring its massive universe of IP to Sora, OpenAI's AI-powered video generator. That means Mickey Mouse, Elsa, Darth Vader, Buzz Lightyear, Iron Man and more than 200 Disney-owned characters are headed to generative AI -- legally, for the first time. The deal makes Disney the first major entertainment studio to license characters to Sora and ChatGPT's image tools. Fans will soon be able to generate their own short videos and illustrations using iconic characters from across Disney Animation, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars. Even more surprising? Disney plans to curate some of the best AI-generated creations and feature them on Disney+, essentially blending fan art with studio streaming. Imagine a Sora-generated clip of Moana and R2-D2 sailing across galaxies -- and then seeing it go live on Disney+. While the agreement opens the door to some wildly creative fan experiences, there are clear boundaries: real actor likenesses and voices are off limits. So you won't be able to make Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones say new lines or hear Scarlett Johansson's voice reimagined through AI. The tools will generate new content using known characters, but not recreate or mimic actors -- a key clause that likely helped ease legal concerns from the Screen Actors Guild and other unions. This moment marks a major shift in how Hollywood approaches AI. Not long ago, Disney was on the side of rights-holders pushing back against AI platforms that used copyrighted characters without permission. Now, Disney is turning that friction into opportunity. In the announcement, CEO Bob Iger called the move a way to "expand storytelling possibilities while protecting the rights of our creators." OpenAI CEO Sam Altman called it a blueprint for "responsible collaboration between legacy entertainment and AI." The partnership also makes Disney a major OpenAI customer, with plans to integrate ChatGPT's capabilities internally and possibly across Disney+ as new interactive features roll out. Sora launched earlier this year as a text-to-video tool, generating short cinematic clips from written prompts. But it lacked access to licensed characters -- meaning anything resembling Disney IP had to be vague, indirect or scrubbed. That changes now. With Disney's blessing, AI-powered storytelling is going mainstream. Fans will be able to create mashups, parodies and tributes with official character integration -- and some of the best content may end up streaming on the same service that launched Frozen and Avengers: Endgame. With Disney becoming the first studio to go all-in on AI storytelling, it has set the stage for other entertainment giants to follow.

Disney to invest $1bn in OpenAI, allowing use of characters in video generation tool

Agreement comes amid anxiety in Hollywood over impact of AI on the industry, expression and rights of creators Walt Disney has announced a $1bn equity investment in OpenAI, enabling the AI start-up's Sora video generation tool to use its characters. Users of Sora will be able to generate short, user-prompted social videos that draw on more than 200 Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars characters as part of a three-year licensing agreement between OpenAI and the entertainment giant. A selection of the videos made by users will also be available for streaming on the Disney+ platform. Bob Iger, Disney's CEO, hailed a deal which paired his firm's "iconic stories and characters" with OpenAI's AI technology. It will place "imagination and creativity directly into the hands of Disney fans in ways we've never seen before", he claimed. But it comes amid intense anxiety in Hollywood over the impact of artificial intelligence on the industry, expression and rights of creators. Disney will also use OpenAI's application programming interfaces to build new products and tools, becoming a major customer of the ChatGPT maker. It will also deploy ChatGPT for its employees, the companies said. "Technological innovation has continually shaped the evolution of entertainment, bringing with it new ways to create and share great stories with the world," said Iger. "The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry, and through this collaboration with OpenAI we will thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach of our storytelling through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their works."

Disney's landmark OpenAI deal comes as AI battle rages

Why it matters: Content companies have been racking up notable legal wins against AI firms as they present strong cases around fair use. * Reuters' landmark victory against competitor Ross Intelligence in February set a new precedent around whether AI companies can use real-time intellectual property that they don't own to fuel their products and services, not just to train their large language models. * Anthropic in September agreed to pay at least $1.5 billion to a group of authors and publishers in the largest copyright settlement in U.S. history. Driving the news: Disney's new agreement with OpenAI will make it the first major content licensing partner on Sora, OpenAI's social video platform. * The deal allows Sora users to generate videos and stills from a set of more than 200 animated, masked and creature characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars. * Disney is also making a $1 billion equity investment in OpenAI. Zoom out: The deal represents a huge endorsement of AI-created content by Disney, which has amped up its legal threats against AI firms over the past year. * Disney this week sent a cease-and-desist letter to Google alleging widespread copyright infringement for the use of its characters and IP across Google's AI products. What to watch: The news industry has been getting more aggressive over the past week in its legal fights against -- and dealmaking with -- AI firms.

Disney's $1 billion deal with OpenAI will bring Disney characters to Sora

Disney is also becoming a major user of OpenAI. Credit: Getty images/Sopa images Disney is investing $1 billion in OpenAI, the entertainment giant announced on Thursday. As part of the deal, OpenAI users will be able to create AI images and videos featuring some of Disney's copyrighted characters. OpenAI recently launched Sora, an AI video generation app powered by the Sora 2 video model, which allows users to create short videos by typing in a text prompt. When the app first launched, it freely used copyrighted characters from companies like Disney, before OpenAI ultimately cracked down. Now, users will be able to create content on Sora using characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars universes. The deal also extends to ChatGPT, where users will be able to create images with these characters just by entering a text prompt. "The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry, and through this collaboration with OpenAI, we will thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach of our storytelling through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their works," Disney CEO Bob Iger said in a statement. "Bringing together Disney's iconic stories and characters with OpenAI's groundbreaking technology puts imagination and creativity directly into the hands of Disney fans in ways we've never seen before," he said. Disney also said that it will now become a "major customer" of OpenAI, and that it will be using its API to "build new products, tools, and experiences," as well as deploy ChatGPT for its employees. While Disney has cozied up with OpenAI, the company has taken a very different approach with other AI companies. In June 2025, Disney and Universal filed a lawsuit against AI company Midjourney, calling the AI image generator a "bottomless pit of plagiarism." Sora ruffled some feathers when it launched this September, too, with the Motion Picture Association urging OpenAI to take action against copyright infringement on the platform.

Disney and OpenAI are set to open the vault to Sora -- yet an AI Mickey feels like magic lost

This is bold: The Walt Disney Company has struck a three-year licensing agreement with OpenAI, which will allow Sora, the AI video generation tool, to use classic Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars characters. Additionally, Disney's making a $1 billion equity investment in OpenAI - with the possibility of more - but for a company that's been strict and intentional with the use of its characters, this is surprising. Especially so, as with this agreement, classic characters like Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, as well as those from franchises like Frozen, Toy Story, Moana, Zootopia, and mainstays from the Star Wars and Marvel universes, will be eligible for use as licensed characters within OpenAI and Sora. So while it might seem fitting for Deadpool and Stitch to be thrown into some crazy scenes, for a company that's been so strict on storytelling and use of characters, it's a bit of an about-face. Selections of short-form, Sora-generated videos will even be highlighted in Disney+, likely available to stream alongside classic films made by Disney Animation Studios, Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm, to name a few. It's critical to note that this is just for the characters, costumes, props, vehicles, and environments - not for any talent likeness or voice. As noted in the release, Disney expects its licensed characters to begin appearing in Sora- and ChatGPT-generated content in early 2026. Robert A. Iger, CEO of Disney, is quoted as saying, "The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry..." It's a will-they-or-won't-they moment for Disney, as OpenAI and user-generated AI content have been growing, and we've been wondering when this would happen. Iger calls out the rapid development and progress of artificial intelligence and notes that the agreement struck is designed to "responsibly extend the reach of our (Disney's) storytelling through generative AI." Iger also says it "puts imagination and creativity directly into the hands of Disney fans in ways we've never seen before." Disney's also been about imagination and creativity, but it's been real humans pulling the strings behind the curtains - writing the stories and drafting the art. This does mean you could act next to one of your favorite characters, though. In fact here's how Disney lists the characters included: "Among the characters fans will be able to use in their creations are Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Lilo, Stitch, Ariel, Belle, Beast, Cinderella, Baymax, Simba, Mufasa, as well as characters from the worlds of Encanto, Frozen, Inside Out, Moana, Monsters Inc., Toy Story, Up, Zootopia, and many more; plus iconic animated or illustrated versions of Marvel and Lucasfilm characters like Black Panther, Captain America, Deadpool, Groot, Iron Man, Loki, Thor, Thanos, Darth Vader, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Leia, the Mandalorian, Stormtroopers, Yoda and more." Altman decidedly praises Disney as the gold standard for storytelling and says, "This agreement shows how AI companies and creative leaders can work together responsibly to promote innovation that benefits society, respect the importance of creativity, and help works reach vast new audiences." Many will be watching and wanting to interact, but it also underscores how OpenAI and Disney need to offer some guardrails. To a degree, we'll need to wait and see what the actual product and tools look like come 2026, and once real folks - like ourselves - can give this a go. Disney's also made it very clear whose preverbal side they are on in the AI battle, as The Hollywood Reporter notes that Disney's hit Google with a cease-and-desist letter citing AI copyright infringement, and that comes right after this deal with OpenAI was made public. Now, this is a bold, big step for Disney to be taking. It's never been a company that shies away from technology, as the Walt Disney Imagineering division has been at the forefront of robotics, haptics, and a leader in earning patents. Interestingly enough, that division is not mentioned in this release, though they've been using various AI tools like reinforcement training for its BDX droids, and while it's not AI, the progress made in audio-animatronics feels as innovative, if not more. The idea of putting yourself into an iconic environment - maybe Andy's bedroom or Tatooine - or putting yourself next to Mickey, Stitch, or Deadpool... couldn't we also have similar experiences in the real world at Disney Parks? There's always been the quest for more immersion there, and Disney has made some incredible lands - Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland and Disney World, plus Frozen land at Disneyland Paris and Hong Kong Disneyland. And there it's real, right? We have seen Disney dabble more directly with AI with its partnership with Epic Games - earlier in 2025, during the Star Wars season of Fortnite, there was an AI-powered Darth Vader that you could have join your squad and chat with, using James Earl Jones' likeness/voice, but that went a little off the rails, and the two companies had to course-correct. Time will tell here, but to quote Mickey from Fantasmic - "Some imagination, huh?" It's stuck with me not just as a fan of the nighttime spectacular, but for how Mickey has a dream that takes him on a wild adventure with many friendly characters from Disney IP that also turns into a nightmare with many villains. I'm not quite sure which this Disney x OpenAI partnership will turn out to be. On one hand, it feels very anti-Disney in the sense that it's letting an AI have all the fun and do the work of being creative off of data it's been trained on in various ways; it loses the human element, and I imagine Walt Disney and many of the creatives at Disney right now aren't too happy about that. Similarly, Sora and ChatGPT Images have been cool to see evolve, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't see myself creating some fun scenarios for these characters, but I worry about the guardrails and safety here. In the end, maybe it comes down to money... or maybe it's simply the start of a new story none of us know the ending to yet.

Disney makes $1 billion investment in OpenAI, sends iconic characters to the slophouse

Remember earlier this year when a bunch of Disney characters and civil rights activists were being puppeteered on social media by generative AI prompts? Disney sent a cease-and-desist to Character.ai, accusing the platform of ripping off its copyrighted characters in what, at the time, seemed like the latest push by studios to protect their IP. Turns out, Disney just wanted a better deal. The company announced plans on Dec. 11 to bring over 200 of its characters to OpenAI's video platform, Sora. Disney will invest $1 billion in the ChatGPT creator as part of a three-year licensing agreement. "Sora will be able to generate short, user-prompted social videos that can be viewed and shared by fans," according to OpenAI, some of which will be curated and available to stream on Disney Plus. Some of these licensed characters include, "Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Lilo, Stitch, Ariel, Belle, Beast, Cinderella, Baymax, Simba, Mufasa, as well as characters from the worlds of Encanto, Frozen, Inside Out, Moana, Monsters Inc., Toy Story, Up, Zootopia, and many more; plus iconic animated or illustrated versions of Marvel and Lucasfilm characters like Black Panther, Captain America, Deadpool, Groot, Iron Man, Loki, Thor, Thanos, Darth Vader, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Leia, the Mandalorian, Stormtroopers, Yoda and more," according OpenAI's official statement. Disney and OpenAI say they're committed to responsible use of AI that safeguards users and respects creators' rights -- an acknowledgment that, in the wrong hands, the tech and its characters could become dangerous, or at the very least misleading. (OpenAI recently had to block all depictions of Martin Luther King Jr. from Sora, but we're sure nothing will go wrong with the Black Panther.) Disney will also use OpenAI's technology to build new products, tools, and experiences. "Technological innovation has continually shaped the evolution of entertainment, bringing with it new ways to create and share great stories with the world," said Disney CEO Bob Iger. "The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry, and through this collaboration with OpenAI we will thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach of our storytelling through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their works. Bringing together Disney's iconic stories and characters with OpenAI's groundbreaking technology puts imagination and creativity directly into the hands of Disney fans in ways we've never seen before, giving them richer and more personal ways to connect with the Disney characters and stories they love." This marks a major turning point in Hollywood's investments in AI. Although some creators, like James Cameron, have come out to say they'd never use the technology to create films, the companies those filmmakers work for see it differently. Tools like Sora also give Disney a way to create content for its streaming service with no pushback from artists (and no salaries, either). By tapping fan ideas and letting AI do the rest, Disney could produce endless AI slop and then charge fans to watch creations inspired by their own input on Disney Plus.

Bob Iger says Disney's $1 billion deal with OpenAI is an 'opportunity, not a threat': 'We'd rather participate than be disrupted by it' | Fortune

Disney is investing $1 billion in OpenAI and is giving the go-ahead for its iconic characters like Mickey Mouse to be used in the AI short-form video app Sora. The two companies announced a three-year deal that would bring more than 200 characters to Sora with a period of exclusivity for part of the duration of the deal. Disney CEO Bob Iger painted the team-up as Disney taking the next step in content with the newest technology and waived away concerns about whether the deal represents a threat to human creators. "We've always viewed technological advances as opportunity, not threat," Iger said. "It's going to happen regardless, and we'd rather participate in the rather dramatic growth, rather than just watching it happen and essentially being disrupted by it," he later added. Iger also noted in an interview with CNBC that as part of the deal, Disney characters can be used in Sora videos, but it does not include rights to likeness or voices. "OpenAI is putting guardrails essentially around how these are used, so that really there's nothing to be concerned about from a consumer perspective," he said. "This will be a safe environment and a safe way for consumers to engage with our characters in a new way." Iger said the company would also feature some user-generated AI content from Sora on the Disney+ platform, which he said would be a great way to increase engagement with younger users. Disney will receive warrants to buy additional equity in OpenAI as part of the deal and Iger said there would be future opportunities for the company to become an OpenAI customer including licensing from OpenAI. Starting last year, OpenAI started opening up Sora to more users and in September launched Sora 2, an upgraded version of the video generator catered more toward mobile. Controversy followed its September release because of the app's ability to create convincing and realistic videos of people. In October, OpenAI paused AI-generated deepfake videos that featured civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. after his daughter, Bernice A. King complained they were being used in a "demeaning, disjointed" way. Thursday's deal also comes after Disney sent a cease-and-desist letter to Google for allegedly using its intellectual property to train its AI models and in its services without permission. The company has previously sent similar letters to other companies like Character.ai. Iger told CNBC that Character.ai corrected the issue shortly after and noted that with Google, "the ball is in their court," and Disney would wait to see how they react to the claim. Altman for his part said Sora users have longed to use Disney characters in their videos and said he hoped adding them to the platform could "unleash a sort of whole new way that people use this technology." "We have underestimated the amount of latent creativity in the world," said Altman. "But if you lower the effort, skill, time required to create new things people very quickly are able to bring ideas to life."

Disney strikes deal with OpenAI to let Sora generate AI videos of its characters

The Walt Disney Company announced on Thursday that it had reached a three-year agreement with OpenAI to bring its popular characters to the company's Sora AI video generator. Disney will also make a $1 billion investment in the ChatGPT owner. The company says it will also become a "major customer" of OpenAI, using its services to develop new products and experiences, including for its Disney+ streaming service. "Under the agreement, Disney and OpenAI are affirming a shared commitment to the responsible use of AI that protects user safety and the rights of creators," the companies said in a statement. OpenAI also says it has committed to "implementing responsible measures to further address trust and safety, including age-appropriate policies." Disney says that some of the characters that are part of the deal include: Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Lilo, Stitch, Ariel, Belle, Beast, Cinderella, Baymax, Simba, Mufasa, as well as characters from the worlds of Encanto, Frozen, Inside Out, Moana, Monsters Inc., Toy Story, Up, Zootopia. "Technological innovation has continually shaped the evolution of entertainment, bringing with it new ways to create and share great stories with the world," Bob Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company, said in a news release. "The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry, and through this collaboration with OpenAI we will thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach of our storytelling through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their works," the release said. "Bringing together Disney's iconic stories and characters with OpenAI's groundbreaking technology puts imagination and creativity directly into the hands of Disney fans in ways we've never seen before, giving them richer and more personal ways to connect with the Disney characters and stories they love." Disney shares initially jumped on the news in premarket trading, however by 9:15 a.m. ET, shares were flat.

Disney to invest $1 billion in OpenAI under new licensing agreement

Mary Cunningham is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch. She previously worked at "60 Minutes," CBSNews.com and CBS News 24/7 as part of the CBS News Associate Program. Walt Disney Co. is investing $1 billion in OpenAI under a new commercial partnership with the ChatGPT and Sora developer. The three-year licensing agreement that will allow users of Sora, OpenAI's artificial intelligence video tool, to create AI videos using more than 200 characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars, the entertainment giant announced Thursday. -- This is a developing story and will be updated

OpenAI, Disney to let fans create AI videos in landmark deal

San Francisco (United States) (AFP) - Walt Disney and OpenAI announced a three-year licensing deal Thursday that will allow users to create short videos featuring beloved Disney characters through artificial intelligence. The deal marks the first time a major entertainment company has embraced generative AI at this scale, licensing its fiercely protected characters -- from Mickey Mouse to Marvel superheroes and Star Wars's Darth Vader -- for AI content creation. The partnership represents a dramatic shift for an industry that has largely been battling AI companies in court. Disney and other creative industry giants had been suing AI firms like OpenAI, Perplexity and Anthropic, accusing them of illegally using their content to train their technology. The deal comes at a sensitive time for OpenAI, which faces increasing questions about the sustainability of its business model, with costs skyrocketing far faster than revenue despite nearing one billion daily users worldwide. Under the agreement, fans will be able to produce and share AI-generated content featuring more than 200 characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars franchises on OpenAI's Sora video generation platform and ChatGPT. The partnership includes a $1 billion equity investment by Disney in OpenAI, along with warrants to purchase additional shares in the ChatGPT maker. Disney shares rose by about two percent on Thursday after the announcement. "The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry," said Disney CEO Robert Iger, adding the collaboration would "thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach of our storytelling." Characters available for fan creations will include Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Elsa from Frozen, and Marvel heroes like Iron Man and Captain America, as well as Star Wars icons including Darth Vader and Yoda. The agreement excludes talent likenesses and voices from actors. Beyond licensing, Disney will deploy OpenAI's technology to build new products and experiences for Disney+, the streaming platform, and will make ChatGPT available to its employees. "Disney is the global gold standard for storytelling," said OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. "This agreement shows how AI companies and creative leaders can work together responsibly." Both companies emphasized their commitment to responsible AI use, with OpenAI pledging age-appropriate policies and controls to prevent illegal or harmful content generation and protect creator rights.

Mickey Mouse meets ChatGPT: Disney signs short video deal with OpenAI

Disney has signed a deal with OpenAI to let the firm's video generation tool produce short videos featuring more than 200 Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars characters. The Walt Disney Company has announced a sweeping partnership with OpenAI that will see it take a $1bn (€852mn) stake in the tech giant. The deal will notably allow cult Disney characters to appear in AI-generated short videos created through Sora, OpenAI's generative video platform. The licensing agreement marks the first time a major entertainment studio has licensed their intellectual property to a large-scale AI video tool. "As part of this new, three-year licensing agreement, Sora will be able to generate short, user-prompted social videos that can be viewed and shared by fans, drawing from a set of more than 200 animated, masked, and creature characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars, including costumes, props, vehicles, and iconic environments," the company said in a statement on Thursday. By formally licensing its characters to OpenAI, Disney sidesteps the intellectual property disputes that have dogged generative AI from day one and establishes a new revenue stream. Sora will be able to turn a few words from the user into fully generated images in seconds, drawing from the same intellectual property. The agreement "does not include any talent likenesses or voices". The companies framed the agreement as a major step towards establishing norms for safe and ethical AI deployment in entertainment. "Under the agreement, Disney and OpenAI are affirming a shared commitment to the responsible use of AI that protects user safety and the rights of creators," the statement continued. Disney chief executive Robert Iger said the collaboration would allow audiences to engage with the company's stories in unprecedented ways. "The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry... [this] groundbreaking technology puts imagination and creativity directly into the hands of Disney fans in ways we've never seen before, giving them richer and more personal ways to connect with the Disney characters and stories they love," Iger said in the statement. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman praised the deal as an example of how AI and creative content producing companies can avoid pitting themselves against each other. "This agreement shows how AI companies and creative leaders can work together responsibly to promote innovation that benefits society, respect the importance of creativity, and help works reach vast new audiences," he said in the statement. Sora and ChatGPT Images are expected to begin producing Disney-licensed fan content in early 2026, pending final approvals. The deal may unsettle character actors, voice artists, and animators, signalling a future in which studios can generate whole scenes without the human performers and illustrators who once defined the craft. Among the characters fans will be able to use in their creations are Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Lilo, Stitch, and Ariel, as well as characters from the worlds of Encanto, Frozen, Inside Out, Moana, and many more. Iconic animated or illustrated versions of Marvel and Lucasfilm characters from originally non-animated content like Black Panther, Captain America, Deadpool, Groot, and Yoda will also be available.

Disney Will Now Let You Make AI Slop of Its Characters on Sora

Sora users have already made fake Disney videos that are wildly offensive, and this may only add fuel to the fire. If you've engaged in any sort of doomscrolling over the past year, you've no doubt encountered some wild AI-generated content. While there are plenty of AI video generators out there producing this stuff, one of the most prevalent is OpenAI's Sora, which is particularly adept at generating realistic short-form videos mimicking the content you might find on TikTok or Instagram Reels. These videos can be so convincing at first glance, that people often don't realize what they're seeing is 100% fake. That can be harmless when it's videos of cats playing instruments at midnight, but dangerous when impersonating real people or properties. It's that last point that I thought would offer some pushback to AI's seemingly exponential growth. These companies have trained their AI models on huge amounts of data, much of which is copyrighted, which means that people are able to generate images and videos of iconic characters like Pikachu, Superman, and Darth Vader. The big AI generators put guardrails on their platforms to try to prevent videos that infringe on copyright, but people find a way around them. As such, corporations have already started suing OpenAI, Google, and other AI companies over this blatant IP theft. (Disclosure: Lifehacker's parent company, Ziff Davis, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in April 2025, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.) But it seems not all companies want to go down this path. Take Disney, as a prime example. On Thursday, OpenAI announced that it had made a three-year licensing agreement with the company behind Mickey Mouse. As part of the deal, Sora users can now generate videos featuring over 200 Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars characters. The announcement names the following characters and movies specifically: That includes licensed costumes, props, vehicles, and environments. What's more, Disney+ will host a "selection" of these "fan-inspired" Sora videos. (I'll admit, that last point genuinely shocks me.) This does only apply to Disney's visual assets, however, as Sora users won't have access to voice acting. ChatGPT users will also be able to generate images with these characters, so this news doesn't just affect Sora users. You might think OpenAI is paying Disney a hefty licensing fee here, but it appears to be quite the opposite. Not only is Disney pledging to use OpenAI APIs to build "products, tools, and experiences," it is rolling out ChatGPT to its employees as well. Oh, and the company is making a $1 billion equity investment in OpenAI. (Is that all?) I know many companies are embracing AI, often in ways I disagree with. But this deal is something else entirely. I'm not sure any Disney executives actually searched for "Sora Disney" on the internet, because right now, you'll find fake AI trailers for Pixar movies filled with racism, sexual content, and generally offensive content -- all generated using an app Disney just licensed all of its properties to. OpenAI asserts in its announcement that both companies are committed to preventing "illegal or harmful" content on the platform, but Sora users are already creating harmful content. What kind of content can we expect with carte blanch access to Disney's properties? Now that Disney's characters are fair game, I can't imagine the absolute slop that some users are going to make here. The only hope I have is in the fact that Disney+ is going to host some of these videos. Staff will have to weed through some garbage to find videos that are actually suitable for the platform. And maybe seeing the "content" that Sora users like to make with iconic characters will be enough for Disney to rethink its plans.

Walt Disney to invest $1 billion in OpenAI, license characters for Sora

Why it matters: It's a huge endorsement of AI-created content from one of the biggest media companies in the world. Zoom in: As part of the agreement, Disney will make a $1 billion equity investment in OpenAI. It will also receive warrants to buy additional shares. * Under the arrangement, social videos can be generated from from a set of more than 200 animated, masked and creature characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars. * "The agreement does not include any talent likenesses or voices," the companies said in a statement. Between the lines: As part of the agreement, OpenAI will commit to implementing responsible measures to further address trust and safety, "including age-appropriate policies and other reasonable controls across the service," per a statement. * That provision is especially important to Disney, which has taken issue with how AI platforms used by children have weaponized the names and likenesses of its characters in the past. Zoom out: Disney hopes its agreement with OpenAI serves as a proof point to the tech industry that it's open to equitable agreements with AI firms, so long as its rights and creators are protected, according to source familiar with its thinking. The big picture: The company has taken a more aggressive stance in going after AI companies for copyright infringement in recent months. * On Wednesday, the firm sent a cease and desist letter to Google, alleging it is infringing Disney's copyrights on a massive scale, sources told Axios. * In September, the company sent a cease and desist letter to Character.AI with similar allegations. * In June, the entertainment giant -- alongside NBCUniversal -- became the first major studio to sue a generative AI company when it filed a complaint against Midjourney. Warner Bros. Discovery sued Midjourney in early September. * Earlier this month, Disney teamed with NBCU and WBD to sue the Chinese AI firm MiniMax, alleging large-scale piracy of their respective studios' copyrighted works. Editor's note: This story has been updated with new details throughout.

Disney gives OpenAI's Sora access to more than 200 characters

Disney is also making a $1bn equity investment in OpenAI. Disney has agreed to license out many of its iconic characters to OpenAI's Sora and ChatGPT. The three-year licensing deal would see users gaining access to more than 200 copyrighted characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars, including Mickey Mouse, Lilo, Stitch, Yoda, characters from Encanto, Frozen, Inside Out, Moana and Monsters Inc, among many more. This also includes costumes, props, vehicles and environments, but no talent likenesses or voices. Users can freely use these characters starting 2026 to generate "fan-inspired" videos on Sora - a selection of which will be streamed on Disney+. Plus, ChatGPT Images also get access to the Disney content, allowing users to generate AI images from the company's licensed content. Alongside this, Disney has also agreed to make a $1bn equity investment in OpenAI. In addition, the company is also a major OpenAI customer now, and will use its APIs to build new products, tools and experiences for Disney+, while deploying ChatGPT for its employees. "Through this collaboration with OpenAI we will thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach of our storytelling through generative AI," commented Walt Disney Company CEO Robert Iger. "Bringing together Disney's iconic stories and characters with OpenAI's groundbreaking technology puts imagination and creativity directly into the hands of Disney fans in ways we've never seen before." OpenAI's controversial AI video generating platform Sora was launched just months ago, when concerns around AI copyright infringement, fair use and issues such as information accuracy are at an all-time-high. Prior to launching, the ChatGPT-maker sent talent agents and studios notifications warning them that their copyrighted materials will be used in Sora unless the creators or owners actively opt out. Reuters reported at the time that Disney had been the first to take up the option. The new agreement with Disney "shows how AI companies and creative leaders can work together responsibly to promote innovation that benefits society, respect the importance of creativity, and help works reach vast new audiences", commented Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI. AI partnerships are becoming common, with giant creative publishing companies allowing AI start-ups access to their content. Just weeks earlier, Warner Music Group (WMG) struck a partnership with AI music generator Suno, which they say will "open new frontiers in music creation". WMG struck the deal after settling its year-long copyright lawsuit with Suno. Universal Music Group has made a similar deal with Udio AI. Don't miss out on the knowledge you need to succeed. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic's digest of need-to-know sci-tech news.

Disney Plans $1 Bn Investment in OpenAI, to Bring Over 200 Characters to Sora | AIM

Under the agreement, Sora will generate short videos based on user prompts, using a library of cartoon and comic characters. Even as the entertainment industry is reshaping, with Netflix announcing plans to acquire Warner Bros., The Walt Disney Company on Thursday announced it has entered into a three-year licensing agreement with OpenAI. This will allow Sora, OpenAI's generative video platform, to create short, user-prompted social videos featuring more than 200 characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars. The deal also includes a $1 billion equity investment in OpenAI, along with warrants to purchase additional equity. The transaction remains subject to definitive agreements, corporate and board approvals, and other closing conditions. Sora and ChatGPT Images are expected to begin generating Disney-licensed content in early 2026. Under the agreement, Sora will generate short videos based on user prompts, using a library of animated, masked and creature characters, as well as costumes, props, vehicles and iconic environments. The licence does not include any talent likenesses or voices. ChatGPT Images will also be able to generate images using the same intellectual property. Disney+ will stream a curated selection of fan-inspired Sora videos, while both companies collaborate to build new subscriber experiences using OpenAI's models. Disney will adopt OpenAI APIs across products, tools and internal workflows, including ChatGPT for employees. Among the characters fans will be able to use are Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Lilo, Stitch, Ariel, Belle, Beast, Cinderella, Baymax, Simba and Mufasa, as well as characters from Encanto, Frozen, Inside Out, Moana, Monsters Inc., Toy Story, Up and Zootopia. The licence will also include animated or illustrated versions of Marvel and Lucasfilm characters such as Black Panther, Captain America, Deadpool, Groot, Iron Man, Loki, Thor, Thanos, Darth Vader, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Leia, the Mandalorian, Stormtroopers and Yoda. Both companies said the partnership includes a framework for responsible AI use. They said it focuses on user safety, protection of creator rights, age-appropriate policies, and systems to prevent illegal or harmful content. "Technological innovation has continually shaped the evolution of entertainment, bringing with it new ways to create and share great stories with the world," said Robert Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company. "Bringing together Disney's iconic stories and characters with OpenAI's groundbreaking technology puts imagination and creativity directly into the hands of Disney fans in ways we've never seen before, giving them richer and more personal ways to connect with the Disney characters and stories they love." Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, said, "Disney is the global gold standard for storytelling, and we're excited to partner to allow Sora and ChatGPT Images to expand the way people create and experience great content."

Disney will open up its toy chest of 200+ characters for AI creators in a $1 billion deal with OpenAI

Fans will soon be able to create short-form generative AI videos featuring more than 200 Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars characters thanks to a three-year agreement that The Walt Disney Co. inked Thursday with OpenAI. In addition to a $1 billion equity investment in the tech company, Disney will become the first major content licensing partner on OpenAI's Sora app. The new collaboration offers an opportunity for Disney to "extend the reach of our storytelling" through AI, Bob Iger, Disney's CEO, said in a statement. "Bringing together Disney's iconic stories and characters with OpenAI's groundbreaking technology puts imagination and creativity directly into the hands of Disney fans in ways we've never seen before, giving them richer and more personal ways to connect with the Disney characters and stories they love." As for what Disney gets out of this deal, the media giant said it will become a "major customer" of OpenAI and receive warrants to purchase additional equity. Disney employees will also have access to ChatGPT and use OpenAI's tools to build new products and experiences.

OpenAI bags Disney characters for Sora short video app

OpenAI's boss says the licensing agreement shows how AI companies and creative leaders can work together responsibly to promote innovation. OpenAI has signed its first major licensing deal to bring well-known characters to life on its Sora video generation tool. The company said the agreement with Walt Disney was part of a push to ensure the rights of creators in the generative artificial intelligence (AI) space amid growing concerns over copyright, fakes and misinformation. It forms part of a $1bn Disney investment in OpenAi, that will see the entertainment firm roll out ChatGPT to its staff and grow its AI capabilities. Money latest: Urgent warning over tumble dryers The initial three-year licensing deal will allow Sora users to generate and share videos based on more than 200 Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars characters. These include Mickey Mouse, Cinderella and Luke Skywalker. Sora allows people to quickly create realistic clips based merely on text prompts. Disney and OpenAI said they were committed to responsible use of AI amid the backlash from critics who have pointed to widespread misuse of generative AI in the social media space - a practice known as AI slop. Some have depicted fake messages from celebrities and even used the dead. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said: "This agreement shows how AI companies and creative leaders can work together responsibly to promote innovation that benefits society, respect the importance of creativity, and help works reach vast new audiences. His counterpart at Disney, Bob Iger, added that the partnership would "extend the reach of our storytelling through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their works." As part of the deal, some user-generated Sora videos will be made available on the Disney+ streaming service.

Disney to invest $1.5b in OpenAI and license characters for videos

Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe. Walt Disney agreed to invest $US1 billion ($1.5 billion) in OpenAI and license iconic characters like Mickey Mouse and Cinderella for use on the startup's short-form, artificial intelligence video platform. As part of the new three-year pact, OpenAI's Sora will be able to draw from a library of more than 200 animated and creature characters -- from Lilo and Stitch to Ariel and Simba -- when generating AI videos in response to user prompts. The deal, announced Thursday, doesn't cover any talent likenesses or voices, however. So a video could feature Woody from Toy Story but without Tom Hanks' voice.

Disney to invest $1 billion in OpenAI, permit use of characters on AI video generator

The Walt Disney Company on Thursday announced plans to invest $1 billion in artificial intelligence company OpenAI, in a deal that will grant the company access to copyrighted characters from "Star Wars," Marvel and other properties for users of AI short-form video generator Sora. "The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry, and through this collaboration with OpenAI we will thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach of our storytelling through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their works," Disney CEO Bob Iger said in a statement on Thursday. Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

Disney Invests $1B in OpenAI in Deal to Bring Characters Like Mickey Mouse to Sora AI Video Tool

Disney is investing $1 billion in OpenAI and will bring characters such as Mickey Mouse, Cinderella and Luke Skywalker to the AI company's Sora video generation tool, in a licensing deal that the two companies announced on Thursday. The agreement makes the Walt Disney Co. the first major content licensing partner for Sora, which uses generative artificial intelligence to create short videos. Under the three-year licensing deal, fans will be able to use Sora to generate and share videos based on more than 200 Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars characters. AI video generators like Sora have wowed with their ability to quickly create realistic clips based merely on text prompts. But a flood of such videos on social media, including clips depicting celebrities and deceased public figures, has raised worries about "AI slop" crowding out human-created work alongside concerns about misinformation, deepfakes and copyright. Disney and OpenAI said they are committed to responsible use of AI that protects the safety of users and the rights of creators. "This agreement shows how AI companies and creative leaders can work together responsibly to promote innovation that benefits society, respect the importance of creativity, and help works reach vast new audiences," OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said. Disney CEO Robert Iger said the deal will "extend the reach of our storytelling through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their works." As part of the deal, some user-generated Sora videos will be made available on the Disney+ streaming service. Disney will also become a "major customer" of OpenAI and use its technology to build new products, tools, and services. It will also roll out ChatGPT for employees.

Disney inks billion-dollar deal with OpenAI

The Walt Disney Company made a major push further into artificial intelligence on Thursday, announcing a licensing agreement with OpenAI that gives it access to Disney's vast library of content and characters. The three-year deal, worth an estimated $1 billion, will allow consumers to use the Sora App to generate short, user-prompted social videos that can be viewed and shared by fans, drawing on more than 200 Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars characters, the company said. The companies in a press release announcing the deal voiced a commitment to "responsible use of AI that protects the safety of users and the rights of creators," and noted the agreement does not include any talent likenesses or voices. "The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry, and through this collaboration with OpenAI we will thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach of our storytelling through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their works," Disney CEO Bob Iger said. In a statement of his own, OpenAI founder Sam Altman said the deal illustrates "how AI companies and creative leaders can work together responsibly to promote innovation that benefits society, respect the importance of creativity, and help works reach vast new audiences." The deal comes as more major media companies weigh the usefulness and risks of AI in their content creation and broader business plans. A number of online safety advocates and lawmakers on Capitol Hill have expressed concern in recent months that AI platforms can be harmful to children, a key demographic of Disney's business model.

Disney Is Feeding Your Favorite Characters To The OpenAI Woodchipper For $1 Billion - Kotaku

Do you wanna build a slopman with Han Solo from Star Wars and Elsa from Frozen? The Walt Disney Company and tech bro Sam Altman’s OpenAI have signed a massive deal that will allow users to create AI slop videos centered around their favorite Disney characters starting early next year. News of the $1 billion deal (h/t Variety) comes just days after Altman was on Jimmy Fallon’s The Tonight Show, claiming that AI could help people raise their kids. According to the rather fluffy Variety report, the deal makes Disney the “first major licensing partner on Sora,†which is OpenAI’s generative AI video platform. Users will be able to make videos featuring more than 200 characters across Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars, and a variety of “costumes, props, vehicles, and iconic environments†that they can then share on social media. Importantly, the deal does not include “talent likenesses or voices,†so you won’t be seeing a mostly accurate Harrison Ford building a snowman with Frozen’s Elsa, or whatever weird digital amalgamation Disney adults decide to type into the slop machine. Characters people can use in their quest to rob the planet of water include: Importantly, the deal allows for “iconic animated or illustrated versions of Marvel and Lucasfilm characters,†so a cartoon version of Harrison Ford building a snowman with Elsa appears to be in the cards. It’s unclear what kinds of guardrails Disney (notoriously protective over how its characters are used in media) will put on Sora, which had to readjust back in October after users created videos of Altman grilling and eating Pikachu. Considering that the depravity and stupidity of AI knows no bounds, I expect Disney will be regretting this deal sooner rather than later. The corporate conjunction also means Disney will be folding OpenAI into its daily operations, including “deploying ChatGPT for its employees.†It’s unclear if that means AI-generated content will be in the next Moana film. Disney is investing $1 billion into Altman’s AI company, so it clearly wants to get its money’s worth. Disney CEO Bob Iger rang the “AI is good†bell in an official statement, saying, “Technological innovation has continually shaped the evolution of entertainment, bringing with it new ways to create and share great stories with the world. The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry, and through this collaboration with OpenAI we will thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach of our storytelling through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their works.â€

Disney CEO Bob Iger Says OpenAI Deal Gives Entertainment Giant 'A Way In' to AI

Disney and OpenAI on Thursday announced a three-year licensing agreement to bring Disney, Star Wars, and Marvel characters to OpenAI's image and video generation tools. Darth Vader, Captain America, and Mickey Mouse are coming to ChatGPT. The Walt Disney Company (DIS) and OpenAI announced a three-year licensing deal Thursday to make Disney characters available through the ChatGPT maker's image and video generation tools, with Disney also investing $1 billion in OpenAI. Starting early next year, users of the ChatGPT image generator and OpenAI's Sora short-form video platform will be able to use over 200 Disney, Star Wars, Pixar, and Marvel characters in their content. Disney said it also plans to make some of the Sora-generated user videos available for Disney+ users to watch on its streaming service. Disney CEO Bob Iger told CNBC in a televised interview following the announcement that the agreement is seen giving Disney "a way in" to AI and could help expand its reach with younger consumers. Disney wants to "participate in the rather dramatic growth rather than just watching it happen and essentially being disrupted by it," Iger said. Iger said that the OpenAI deal does not include the voices of the characters, or the name, image, and likeness of the original actor, which he said means it "does not in any way represent a threat to the creators" or actors who played the characters. He also suggested the deal is exclusive for only part of the three-year timeline, potentially allowing Disney to make similar licensing deals with other AI companies in the future. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in the interview alongside Iger that OpenAI plans to work with Disney to establish guardrails preventing videos with inappropriate content from being generated involving the Disney characters. The deal comes not long after Disney sent a cease and desist letter to Alphabet's (GOOGL) Google, alleging that the maker of the Gemini chatbot and Nano Banana Pro image generator used copyrighted material to train its models, according to CNBC. Disney and Google did not respond to an Investopedia request for comment on the letter in time for publication. Iger told CNBC that Disney will wait to see how Google responds before deciding if the company needs to escalate legal action. Disney shares were up about 1% in recent trading, leaving them less than 1% below where they started the year.

AI-bubble fear is myth? Disney becomes major ChatGPT customer after signing $1 billion equity investment deal with OpenAI

OpenAI-Disney tie-up will also cover image generation on ChatGPT, drawing from the same Disney intellectual property. Walt Disney is investing $1 billion in OpenAI and will let the startup use characters from Star Wars, Pixar and Marvel franchises in its Sora AI video and image generator, a crucial deal that could reshape how Hollywood makes content. Walt Disney Co (NYSE: DIS) share price was up by more than two per cent. Walt Disney has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Alphabet's Google, CNBC reported on Thursday. The partnership announced on Thursday is a pivotal step in Hollywood's embrace of generative artificial intelligence, despite the industry's concerns over the impact of AI on creative jobs and intellectual property rights. As part of the agreement, Sora and ChatGPT Images are expected to start generating fan-requested videos using licensed Disney characters in early 2026. The companies will use OpenAI's models to build new products, tools and customer experiences, including for Disney+ subscribers. The partnership comes months after Hollywood's premier talent agency sharply criticized the same technology Disney is now embracing. Creative Artists Agency, which represents thousands of actors, directors and music artists, said in October OpenAI was exposing artists to "significant risk" through Sora, questioning whether the AI company believed creative professionals "deserve to be compensated and credited for the work they create". Through the deal with OpenAI, a selection of the videos made by users will be available for streaming on the Disney+ platform. It will also deploy ChatGPT for its employees, the companies said. The tie-up will also cover image generation on ChatGPT, drawing from the same Disney intellectual property. Q1. What we know about Disnesy-OpenAI deal? A1. Sora and ChatGPT Images are expected to start generating fan-requested videos using licensed Disney characters in early 2026. Q2. What do we know about Walt Disney Co share price? A2. Walt Disney Co (NYSE: DIS) share price was up by more than two per cent.

Disney Strikes Deal With OpenAI To Let Sora Generate AI Videos of Its Characters

The Walt Disney Company announced on Thursday that it had reached a three-year agreement with OpenAI to bring its popular characters to the company's Sora AI video generator. Disney will also make a $1 billion investment in the ChatGPT owner. The company says it will also become a "major customer" of OpenAI, using its services to develop new products and experiences, including for its Disney+ streaming service. "Under the agreement, Disney and OpenAI are affirming a shared commitment to the responsible use of AI that protects user safety and the rights of creators," the companies said in a statement. OpenAI also says it has committed to "implementing responsible measures to further address trust and safety, including age-appropriate policies." Disney says that some of the characters that are part of the deal include: Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Lilo, Stitch, Ariel, Belle, Beast, Cinderella, Baymax, Simba, Mufasa, as well as characters from the worlds of "Encanto," "Frozen," "Inside Out," "Moana," "Monsters Inc.," "Toy Story," "Up," and "Zootopia." "Technological innovation has continually shaped the evolution of entertainment, bringing with it new ways to create and share great stories with the world," Bob Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company, said in a news release. "The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry, and through this collaboration with OpenAI we will thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach of our storytelling through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their works," the release said. "Bringing together Disney's iconic stories and characters with OpenAI's groundbreaking technology puts imagination and creativity directly into the hands of Disney fans in ways we've never seen before, giving them richer and more personal ways to connect with the Disney characters and stories they love." Disney shares jumped more than 2% at the opening of trading at 9:30a.m. ET. News of the deal rocked the worlds of tech and entertainment Thursday in large part because Disney is so famously protective of its sprawling portfolio of intellectual property, from the animated shorts of the 1920s to modern superhero and fantasy franchises. The studio has taken aggressive legal action, for years, to block the unauthorized use of its recognizable characters, logos and musical scores. Disney has also lobbied Congress for U.S. copyright extensions, including a 1998 federal law that some critics labeled the "Mickey Mouse Protection Act." To wit, Disney sent a cease-and-desist letter on Wednesday to OpenAI competitor Google, alleging that Google's AI services infringe on Disney's copyrights. In the letter, Disney writes that it believes Google is "infringing Disney's copyrights on a massive scale." "Disney has been raising its concerns with Google for months, but Google has done nothing in response," Disney's lawyer also writes. "Google's mass infringement of Disney's copyrighted works must stop." Disney said it is seeking a "swift response" from Google on the issue. On Disney's Nov. 13 earnings call, Iger hinted that the company was working on a deal with an AI company, but didn't name any specific firms. "We've been in some interesting conversations with some of the AI companies," Iger said. " I would characterize some of them as quite productive conversations." Iger said in those talks Disney was "seeking to not only protect the value of our IP and of our creative engines but also to seek opportunities for us to use their technology to create more engagement with consumers."

Disney Invests $1 Billion in OpenAI Fantasia

Israel Can Compete in Eurovision After Organizers Decided Not to Vote on a Ban Because everything these days seems to be A.I. (except Rolling Stone articles, which are still written by humans -- hey there, hi there, ho there), Disney has invested $1 billion in equity in OpenAI. The company also signed a three-year deal with OpenAI's Sora platform that will allow users to create "fan-inspired Sora short form videos" featuring Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars characters, giving the company a modicum of control over its intellectual property. The licensing deal will launch on OpenAI and ChatGPT early next year; some videos will be streaming on Disney+. The move marks a 180 turn in the industry, which has long been wary of artificial intelligence and resisted it. "The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry, and through this collaboration with OpenAI, we will thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach of our storytelling through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their works," Disney CEO Bob Iger said in a statement. "Bringing together Disney's iconic stories and characters with OpenAI's groundbreaking technology puts imagination and creativity directly into the hands of Disney fans in ways we've never seen before, giving them richer and more personal ways to connect with the Disney characters and stories they love." But many major talent agencies, according to The Hollywood Reporter, have aligned themselves against A.I. WME, CAA, and UTA all voiced support for their clients to resist what they saw as infringement of their likenesses. The union SAG-AFTRA, meanwhile, cut a deal with what THR describes as guardrails for real humans, like Bryan Cranston, which may have informed Disney's deal. (Disney's agreement doesn't include actors' likenesses.) Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, was clearly excited about the deal, as he intimated in a statement. "This agreement shows how AI companies and creative leaders can work together responsibly to promote innovation that benefits society, respect the importance of creativity, and help works reach vast new audiences," he said. Disney, which invested $1.5 billion in equity in Epic Games to bring its characters to Fortnite, previously sued Midjourney, an AI image generator, calling it a "bottomless pit of plagiarism," according to THR. Universal, Warner Bros., and Discovery joined Disney in the suit. The news announcement claimed the deal advocates for "the responsible use of AI."

Disney's Next Big Billion Dollar Bet Is On AI - Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS)

Disney is ushering in a new wave of creative magic, teaming up with OpenAI to bring its legendary characters and worlds into a fresh era of AI-powered storytelling. The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) announced Thursday that it has entered a multiyear partnership with OpenAI that could redefine how fans engage with its iconic franchises by integrating generative AI into Disney's experiences. Disney- OpenAI's Sora: What's New A three-year licensing deal grants OpenAI's Sora platform access to more than 200 characters, settings, vehicles, and props from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars to generate short, user-prompted videos. Fans can create and share clips, and curated selections will appear on Disney+. Also Read: Broadcom Stock Rides Market Momentum As Marvell Faces Microsoft, Amazon Setbacks Investment And Enterprise Integration Disney will invest $1 billion in OpenAI and receive warrants that could increase its stake. The company will also adopt OpenAI's APIs to enhance Disney+ features and deploy ChatGPT internally to support operations and creative development. Sora will produce short videos from prompts, while ChatGPT Images will generate stills using licensed IP. The agreement excludes performers' real faces and voices, and both companies emphasize strong protections for creators, strict safety controls, and prevention of harmful or illegal content. Disney's Storytelling Legacy CEO Robert A. Iger called generative AI the next major evolution in entertainment, stating that the partnership enables Disney to deepen fan engagement while upholding creator rights. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman praised Disney as the benchmark for global storytelling and highlighted the collaboration as a model for responsible innovation. Interactive fan experiences are expected to debut on Disney+ in early 2026, pending corporate approvals. In separate entertainment news, Disney recently renewed Jimmy Kimmel under a new multiyear deal as part of its broader content strategy. Commitment to Responsible AI Disney said in its press release that OpenAI will continue developing age-appropriate policies, safety tools, and content filters. Both companies underscore protecting IP rights and individual likeness while unlocking new creative possibilities for fans and professionals. OpenAI Landscape The partnership comes as OpenAI navigates a shifting competitive and financial environment. Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) recently revealed that its widely discussed $100 billion direct-compute deal with OpenAI is still only at the letter of intent stage, with no definitive agreement finalized. OpenAI continues to rely on cloud partners like Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) in the meantime, even as industry analysts warn the company faces intensifying pressure from rivals such as Alphabet's (NASDAQ:GOOGL)(NASDAQ:GOOG) Google Gemini 3 and ongoing financial strains. DIS Price Action: Walt Disney shares were up 1.81% at $110.79 at the time of publication on Thursday, according to Benzinga Pro data. Read Next: Semiconductor Stocks Sell Off After Oracle's Results Spoil AI Party Image via Shutterstock DISThe Walt Disney Co$110.771.78%OverviewGOOGAlphabet Inc$315.98-1.56%GOOGLAlphabet Inc$315.06-1.61%MSFTMicrosoft Corp$477.47-0.23%NVDANVIDIA Corp$177.30-3.53%ORCLOracle Corp$191.49-14.1%Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs

Disney bets $1 billion on OpenAI, bringing Mickey, Marvel and more to Sora - The Economic Times

Disney will invest $1 billion in OpenAI as part of a landmark partnership that will bring more than 200 Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars characters to Sora, the AI firm's video generation tool. The three-year deal will also see Disney use OpenAI's technology across its products and deploy ChatGPT for employees.Walt Disney Co. on Thursday said it will invest $1 billion in OpenAI as part of a broad partnership that will bring the entertainment giant's characters to Sora, the startup's AI video generation tool. Under a new three-year licensing agreement, Sora will be able to generate short, user-prompted social videos featuring more than 200 Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars characters, along with costumes, props, vehicles and iconic environments. A curated selection of fan-made clips will also stream on Disney+. The deal makes Disney the first major content licensing partner for Sora and marks a notable shift in the company's approach to AI platforms. Disney and Universal are currently suing AI image generator Midjourney, alleging it improperly used and distributed AI-generated characters from their films. In September, Disney also issued a cease-and-desist notice to Character.AI for using its copyrighted characters without permission. OpenAI said its ChatGPT Images feature will similarly be able to generate images based on Disney-owned IP, though the agreement excludes any talent likenesses or voices. As part of the collaboration, Disney will become a major OpenAI customer -- using its APIs to build new products, tools and experiences across its businesses, including Disney+. The company will also deploy ChatGPT internally for employees. In return, Disney will receive warrants to purchase additional equity. "This important moment in artificial intelligence will help extend the reach of our storytelling," Disney CEO Bob Iger said, adding that the companies will take a "thoughtful and responsible" approach in protecting creators and their works. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said the partnership shows how AI companies and creative leaders can work together "to promote innovation that benefits society" and helps content reach wider audiences. Both companies said they are committed to responsible use of AI, including safety controls, rights protection for creators, and measures to prevent harmful or illegal content. Fan-generated videos featuring Disney characters on Sora are expected to roll out in early 2026.

Disney to invest US$1 billion in OpenAI, license characters for Sora AI tool

Walt Disney is investing US$1 billion in OpenAI and will let the startup use characters from Star Wars, Pixar and Marvel franchises in its Sora AI video and image generator, a crucial deal that could reshape how Hollywood makes content. The partnership announced on Thursday is a pivotal step in Hollywood's embrace of generative artificial intelligence, despite the industry's concerns over the impact of AI on creative jobs and intellectual property rights. As part of the agreement, Sora and ChatGPT Images are expected to start generating fan-requested videos using licensed Disney characters in early 2026. The companies will use OpenAI's models to build new products, tools and customer experiences, including for Disney+ subscribers. The partnership comes months after Hollywood's premier talent agency sharply criticized the same technology Disney is now embracing. Creative Artists Agency, which represents thousands of actors, directors and music artists, said in October OpenAI was exposing artists to "significant risk" through Sora, questioning whether the AI company believed creative professionals "deserve to be compensated and credited for the work they create." Through the deal with OpenAI, a selection of the videos made by users will be available for streaming on the Disney+ platform. It will also deploy ChatGPT for its employees, the companies said. The tie-up will also cover image generation on ChatGPT, drawing from the same Disney intellectual property.

Disney to let users make AI videos featuring beloved characters in...

The Walt Disney Company said Thursday it will invest $1 billion in OpenAI in a deal that will allow users to churn out AI videos with copyrighted characters from "Star Wars" and more through the artificial intelligence firm's Sora app. The announcement of the deal -- which seems poised to flood the web with even more AI slop -- came a day after Disney threated legal action against OpenAI's rival, Google, over alleged copyright infringement on a "massive scale." The House of Mouse accused Google of using Disney videos and images both to develop the tech giant's AI projects and to "commercially exploit and distribute copies of [Disney's] protected works." Meanwhile, Disney is diving into the world of AI with the gusto of Scrooge McDuck wading in his vault of gold coins. Under the new deal, Sora users will be able to use over 200 characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar and "Star Wars" to generate custom short videos -- some of which will eventually be streamed on Disney+, the entertainment giant said. The characters available for use will include Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Cinderella, Black Panther, Captain America, Darth Vader, Yoda, "Toy Story" characters and more, according to Disney. The deal doesn't make any "talent likenesses or voices" available to Sora users, Disney noted. "The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry, and through this collaboration with OpenAI we will thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach of our storytelling through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their works," Disney CEO Bob Iger said in a statement. OpenAI's top executive echoed the remarks. "Disney is the global gold standard for storytelling, and we're excited to partner to allow Sora and ChatGPT Images to expand the way people create and experience great content," OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in a statement. "This agreement shows how AI companies and creative leaders can work together responsibly to promote innovation that benefits society." Under the three-year deal, Disney said it would "become a major customer of OpenAI, using its APIs to build new products, tools, and experiences, including for Disney+, and deploying ChatGPT for its employees." On the legal front, Disney says Google ripped off "a large corpus of Disney's copyrighted works without authorization to train and develop generative artificial intelligence ... models and services," states a letter law firm Jenner & Block sent Google on behalf of Disney. "Google's conduct is particularly harmful because Google is leveraging its market dominance across multiple channels to distribute its AI Services and using the draw and popularity of infringed copyrighted works to help maintain that dominance," stated the cease-and-desist letter, first reported by Variety. Disney pointed to Google-owned YouTube platforms as a font of "derivative works of Disney's copyrighted characters," demanding the content be removed. The Post has sought comment from Google. Disney's deal with OpenAI marks a turning point in Hollywood's relationship with tech firms that have been accused of ripping off major studios by allowing users access to copyrighted material in order to generate images and videos featuring popular characters. Earlier this year, Disney banded together with Universal Pictures and Warner Bros. Discovery to file separate but consolidated lawsuits against Midjourney, the San Francisco-based AI image generator that has been accused of "calculated and willful" copyright infringement. The three entertainment conglomerates also united to take legal action against MiniMax, a Chinese AI firm that rolled out its own video-generation service, Hailuo AI. The studios allege that MiniMax engaged in "willful and brazen" copyright infringement by using characters to train its model and promote its service. OpenAI has also been the subject of legal action from media companies who say it trained its large language models on copyrighted materials. In December 2023, the New York Times Company filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and its partner, Microsoft, alleging mass copyright infringement using millions of Times stories to train ChatGPT. Weeks earlier, thousands of authors, including John Grisham, Jodi Picoult and George R.R. Martin, filed a class action lawsuit against OpenAI alleging that it copied books without permission to train its popular bot. In May of last year, OpenAI struck a multi-year licensing agreement with The Post's parent company News Corp.

Disney Says It Will 'Thoughtfully and Responsibly Extend' Its Storytelling Through Generative AI Use With $1 Billion OpenAI Deal That Licenses 200 Characters Including Mickey Mouse, Luke Skywalker, Captain America and Elsa From Frozen - IGN

Disney has agreed to license 200 of its most beloved characters for use in Sora's generative AI videos, alongside a $1 billion investment in OpenAI. The three-year deal will allow users to generate short-form videos featuring Disney icons such as Mickey Mouse, Pixar favorites such as Woody, Marvel heroes like Black Panther and Captain America, as well as Star Wars characters like Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia. Disney and OpenAI's agreement includes mention of a "shared commitment to the responsible use of AI that protects user safety and the rights of creators" and, notably, Disney has said that all of its licensed characters will be animated, masked or creatures, with no "talent likenesss or voices." More to follow...

Disney invests $1bn in OpenAI and opens access to its characters on Sora

On Thursday Walt Disney announced a $1bn investment in OpenAI, sealing a 3-year strategic partnership focused on generative artificial intelligence. The deal will enable users of the Sora platform, a text-to-video tool launched in September, to create content featuring over 200 characters from the Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars universes. The initiative marks a major foray by Disney into AI technologies applied to audiovisual creation. The partnership does not include the voices or likenesses of the actors portraying these characters, but it will enable animating Mickey Mouse, Iron Man, Cinderella and Darth Vader through simple text prompts. Sora, developed by OpenAI, relies on automated video generation capable of producing realistic short films from a single instruction in natural language. The same capabilities will also be available in the ChatGPT Images tool.