OpenAI rolls out Sora app and Sora 2 model in first push into social video
It could change how people create and share content online, with Sora 2 producing more realistic clips and the Sora app adding cameos and collaborative storytelling.
OpenAI, best known for creating ChatGPT, just took another swing at the future of creativity and social media. Alongside the launch of Sora 2, an upgraded video and audio generator, it’s introducing a new app called Sora, which looks a lot like TikTok, only with an AI twist.
Sora 2 builds on last year’s model, but this version appears to be better at handling the basics of how the world works. Instead of the warped physics we’ve often seen in AI videos, a basketball that teleports into the hoop or shadows that stretch unnaturally, clips from Sora 2 tend to respect gravity and momentum. A ball can miss the hoop, bounce off the backboard, and rebound the way you’d expect.
Demo clips released by OpenAI also show beach volleyball games, skateboard tricks, gymnastics routines, and cannonball jumps that play out with more weight and realism than before.
But what really makes this launch interesting isn’t just the video generator model itself; it’s the social layer the company is building on top of it. OpenAI says its new Sora app is designed for sharing, remixing, and experimenting with what the AI creates in a TikTok-style feed, curated by your activity, location, and engagement (with the option to link ChatGPT history, which can also be turned off).
Sora 2 is here. pic.twitter.com/hy95wDM5nB
— OpenAI (@OpenAI) September 30, 2025
One standout feature in the Sora app is called Cameos. To use it, you upload a one-time video-and-audio clip to verify your likeness. After that, you can drop yourself, your face, voice, and movements, into AI-generated scenes. Imagine starring in a kung fu fight sequence with your best friend, or spiking in a slow-motion volleyball match. You can also give others permission to include your cameo, opening the door to multi-person videos and collaborative storytelling.
For now, Sora is rolling out on iOS in the U.S. and Canada. The app is available to download, but access is invite-only at launch. ChatGPT Pro subscribers are also expected to get early access to Sora 2 without waiting for an invite.
Ogbonda Chivumnovu
Of course, launching a social platform built on AI likenesses raises questions of safety and trust. OpenAI says you’ll always be able to revoke access to your likeness, but once it’s shared, there’s always the chance of abuse, even from people you know. The app includes parental controls powered by ChatGPT, covering things like disabling infinite scroll, turning off algorithmic personalization, and managing who can send DMs. Still, how effective these will be depends on how actively parents use them.
On the business side, OpenAI is keeping things simple. The Sora app is free at launch, with the only monetization plan being charges for extra video generations during peak demand. That suggests the priority isn’t revenue just yet, but building an audience and getting people to explore what the tool can do.
If it clicks, Sora could represent a different kind of social platform, one where the feed isn’t just people documenting their lives, but inventing entirely new ones and starring in them too. Whether it will compete with TikTok, Instagram Reels, or Meta’s new “Vibes” feature is still unclear. But one thing is: AI isn’t just powering the content anymore. It’s starting to shape the entire stage.
Ogbonda Chivumnovu
