A group has reportedly leaked access to OpenAI's unreleased video generation tool, Sora, as a form of protest against alleged unfair practices by the company. The group, calling itself “Sora PR Puppets,” has accused OpenAI of exploiting artists involved in Sora’s early access program.
The leak surfaced on the AI development platform Hugging Face, where the group created a frontend to access Sora's API. Using authentication tokens likely obtained from early access, users were able to generate 10-second videos in up to 1080p resolution by providing text prompts. Although the tool's queue was heavily populated, several users shared generated samples featuring OpenAI's watermark.
The access was reportedly shut down within three hours, with the group claiming that OpenAI temporarily suspended the program for all early access participants.
The group alleges that OpenAI has been pressuring artists and testers in the Sora early access program to promote a favorable image of the tool while offering minimal compensation. According to their statement, hundreds of artists provided unpaid feedback and experimental work for OpenAI, a company valued at $150 billion.
The group also criticized OpenAI for tightly controlling Sora’s outputs, requiring approval for any content to be widely shared. They claim only a select few creators are allowed to showcase their Sora-generated works, which they argue undermines genuine creative expression.
The protestors clarified that their issue is not with AI technology itself but with how OpenAI has managed the artist program and the tool’s development. They expressed hope that the company would adopt a more transparent and artist-friendly approach.
OpenAI addressed the situation by stating that Sora remains in a “research preview” phase, focusing on balancing creativity and safety. According to the company, participation in the early access program is voluntary, and artists are not obligated to provide feedback. OpenAI emphasized that participants receive free access to Sora and are supported through grants and events.
While the company claimed to prioritize artist input in shaping Sora, it did not clarify what it considers "responsible use" or the specific confidentiality requirements imposed on participants.
Sora has faced significant technical and competitive challenges. Early iterations of the tool struggled with consistency, requiring hundreds of attempts to produce usable clips. Processing time was also an issue, with one-minute videos taking over 10 minutes to generate. Recent developments have reportedly improved speed and introduced style controls.
OpenAI’s competitors, however, are gaining ground. Runway partnered with Lionsgate to train custom video models, while Stability AI recruited "Avatar" director James Cameron to its board. Despite demonstrating Sora to filmmakers and Hollywood studios earlier this year, OpenAI has yet to secure any major partnerships.
The controversy surrounding the leaked Sora highlights the broader tensions between AI innovation and ethical considerations. While the technology holds promise for creative industries, balancing artistic collaboration, fair compensation, and transparency remains a challenge for OpenAI and similar companies.
