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An Open Letter by the Artists Who Exposed OpenAI’s Sora Video Generator

Aleha Noor
An Open Letter by the Artists Who Exposed OpenAI's Sora Video Generator

An Open Letter by the Artists Who Exposed OpenAI's Sora Video Generator

The world of AI and the art community have collided in a clash over OpenAI’s Sora, a text-to-video generation tool. A group of artists entrusted with early access to Sora AI have taken a bold stand against the tech giant. They leaked the tool and released an open letter accusing OpenAI of exploitative practices.

Table of contents

OpenAI’s Sora AI and the Leak

OpenAI has been developing an AI video generator called Sora, which can transform text prompts into high-quality videos. The company first teased the release of Sora back in February 2024. However, it has been slow to provide meaningful updates on its progress, citing the need to ensure the tool’s safety and scalability. On November 26, 2024, the artists released a manifesto on the Hugging Face platform, claiming to have leaked access to the Sora tool in protest. 

According to the artists, OpenAI promised them the opportunity to be “early testers, red teamers and creative partners” for Sora. But instead, they believe they were “being lured into ‘art washing’ to tell the world that Sora is a useful tool for artists.” They shared the leaked Sora model under the username “PR-Puppets”. It allowed users to generate a wide range of AI videos that closely resembled OpenAI’s own Sora demonstrations.

The Open Letter by the Artists

In a scathing open letter addressed to “Corporate AI Overlords,” the artists stated their grievances. They claimed that through the Sora early-access program, “Hundreds of artists provide unpaid labour through bug testing, feedback and experimental work for the program for a $150B valued company.” In their open letter, the artists make their position clear: “ARTISTS ARE NOT YOUR UNPAID R&D. We are not your: free bug testers, PR puppets, training data, validation tokens.” They demand that OpenAI become “more open, more artist-friendly and supports the arts beyond PR stunts.”

The artists expressed their disagreement with how the artist program was rolled out and how the tool is shaping up ahead of a possible public release. They emphasized that they are not against the use of AI technology in the arts, but they are concerned about the exploitative nature of OpenAI’s approach.

OpenAI’s Response

Just three hours after the limited release, OpenAI removed access to Sora for all artists. OpenAI acknowledged the situation, stating that Sora is still in a “research preview” phase. The company is “working to balance creativity with robust safety measures for broader use.” The company emphasized that participation in the Sora program is voluntary. They have been “excited to offer these artists free access and will continue supporting them through grants, events and other programs.“

The Ethical and Existential Tension

The Sora controversy highlights the broader tensions between the art world and the rapidly advancing field of AI. Artists fear that tools like Sora could potentially replace human creativity and labour. Additionally, they raised concerns about the ethical implications of using unpaid labour for corporate gain. OpenAI’s stance suggests a desire to engage with the creative community in a manner that the artists perceive as exploitative. The company’s efforts to balance creativity with safety measures reflect the complexities of responsibly developing and deploying such powerful AI tools.

Concluding Remarks

The open letter from the Sora testers has sparked a wider debate about the relationship between AI and the arts. A more collaborative and transparent approach is needed to ensure that the creative community is empowered rather than exploited. Overall, the Sora controversy serves as a cautionary tale to underscore the importance of fostering ethical and equitable partnerships between technology companies and the artistic community.

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