US artificial intelligence heavyweight OpenAI said Friday that its Sora video generator was now available in the European Union and Britain, following its December launch in the United States and elsewhere.
The technology, allowing creation of high-resolution clips, will be on offer for paying subscribers to the AI firm's ChatGPT service in "the EU, the UK, Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland," OpenAI said in a post on X.
Chief executive Sam Altman had written on December 9 that Sora's delayed release in Europe was to "comply with regulation".
The EU has far more extensive rules around deploying AI and data protection than other jurisdictions, including the US.
Future OpenAI products might have "delayed launches" and "there may be some we just can't offer" in Europe, Altman said at the time.
Sora can turn out clips based on inputs including text, photo or user-provided footage.
Basic "Plus" subscribers can generate up to 50 videos monthly at standard definition and lasting around 20 seconds, with more on offer for higher-paying "Pro" users.
OpenAI said in December that it had implemented safeguards against misuse, including verification metadata and visible watermarks, in response to public concerns.
The company temporarily restricted the generation of videos featuring real people while it strengthens anti-deepfake measures.
AI video generation technology remains at an early stage, with even the artist-produced videos provided by OpenAI on Friday showing odd details including illegible text and uncanny body movements.
Altman vowed in December that Sora would get "a lot, lot better" in the future.
Video generation is a competitive space, with alternatives to Sora including Google's Veo or Adobe's Firefly.
Published - March 01, 2025 09:41 am IST
