OpenAI, the pioneering artificial intelligence firm behind Sora, its video generation tool, has now turned to monetizing one of its most popular features: credits for its users. The company is selling extra 10 video gens – a measure of how many videos can be generated using Sora's capabilities – for $4 through Apple's App Store.
Currently, Sora offers a daily limit of 30 free gens per day, but this rate is expected to decrease as OpenAI aims to generate revenue from its platform. The company's head of Sora, Bill Peebles, recently announced the changes on X, stating that they will need to adjust their free gen cap in order to accommodate growing user demand.
Peebles also explained that the decision to monetize was made due to the economics being unsustainable at the current rate. "We have been quite amazed by how much our power users want to use Sora," he said, adding that 30 free gens per day is no longer sufficient.
The company's plans to generate revenue are likely linked to its content licensing model. OpenAI aims to let entities license out their copyrighted material – such as artwork, characters, or likenesses – for an extra fee. Peebles envisioned a scenario where rightsholders could charge more for "cameos" of beloved characters and people.
However, this plan has sparked controversy, particularly in light of the ongoing lawsuit against OpenAI's text-to-video AI app by Cameo over trademark infringement. The company is taking a bold approach to monetization, which raises questions about its strategies and adherence to intellectual property laws.
Currently, Sora offers a daily limit of 30 free gens per day, but this rate is expected to decrease as OpenAI aims to generate revenue from its platform. The company's head of Sora, Bill Peebles, recently announced the changes on X, stating that they will need to adjust their free gen cap in order to accommodate growing user demand.
Peebles also explained that the decision to monetize was made due to the economics being unsustainable at the current rate. "We have been quite amazed by how much our power users want to use Sora," he said, adding that 30 free gens per day is no longer sufficient.
The company's plans to generate revenue are likely linked to its content licensing model. OpenAI aims to let entities license out their copyrighted material – such as artwork, characters, or likenesses – for an extra fee. Peebles envisioned a scenario where rightsholders could charge more for "cameos" of beloved characters and people.
However, this plan has sparked controversy, particularly in light of the ongoing lawsuit against OpenAI's text-to-video AI app by Cameo over trademark infringement. The company is taking a bold approach to monetization, which raises questions about its strategies and adherence to intellectual property laws.
I'm all for OpenAI trying to make some dough, but come on 10 video gens for $4? That's just ridiculous 
. What's next? Charging us for air we breathe? 
I get that they want to generate revenue, but this isn't the way to do it. They're gonna scare off all the content creators who actually make Sora worth using.
. Can't wait to see how this drama unfolds! 
. Are they going to have to shell out extra cash just to keep using a tool that was initially meant to be free? That doesn't seem fair 
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i hope they figure out how to make this model work without screwing over their users 
think about it, they're sellin credits for video gens and its gonna cost u $4 per 10 gens... that's like, a whole day of free vids right there 
wanna be careful out here 
. the thing thats got me worried tho is them tryin to monetize user-created content... that sounds like a recipe for disaster 
. and then theres this lawsuit with cameo, idk what's goin on but i hope opai gets their act together 
they're doing this 'cause the economics are whack but i feel for the creators who want to license out their stuff 
u never know how ppl will react 2 dis new monetization strategy 
what's next? paying to save my vids or something? 
did u guys hear that Cameo is suing OpenAI? 
. And what's with the credits thingy? It feels like they're trying to nickel-and-dime us, you know? 
. But at the same time, I get that OpenAI's been losing cash like crazy 
. Guess we'll just have to wait and see how this all plays out 
It sounds like OpenAI wants to charge rightsholders for using their stuff, but will that work? It feels a bit sketchy to me. And then there's the lawsuit thing, which is just getting weird... 
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. The more I think about it, though, the more I'm concerned about how this is gonna affect all the content creators who rely on Sora for their livelihoods 
but at the same time, you've got to wonder if they're being transparent enough about how this will work and whether it's fair to users... it's all about finding that balance, right? 
. I mean, 30 free gens per day was already a pretty generous limit, so now they're gonna nickel and dime us? 
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... I'm not sure if OpenAI is being reckless or genius for trying to monetize this stuff. Either way, it's definitely gonna be interesting to see how this plays out