OpenAI is teasing a series of updates coming to its viral app for AI-generated videos, Sora. The app recently shot to the top of the App Store after a late September launch. It remains at number one in the US and Canada.
The upcoming updates will introduce video editing tools and offer the ability for users to create character cameos of pets and other objects. The app will also see improved social features and more. The company confirmed that the Android version of the app is actually coming soon.
Sora head Bill Peebles made the announcement. He stated the new creation tools will arrive in the next few days. These include the ability to turn pets and other items, like a favorite stuffed toy and pretty much anything else, into cameos.
The term cameo refers to the Sora feature where users can make AI personas of themselves. This is done by providing the app with a recorded video as a reference file. These cameos can be shared with friends, allowing them to make videos featuring your AI character.
The company expects people to register lots of crazy new cameos with this feature. To make them easier to find, the generation interface will be updated to show the latest trending cameos in real time.
The app will also introduce basic video editing features, starting with the ability to stitch together multiple clips. More tools will be added over time. An updated social experience is also underway, which would add new ways of using Sora with friends. These may include dedicated channels specific to a university, company, sports club, and more.
The company says it is working to reduce the excessive moderation of generations, which some users have complained is too strict. They are also working to improve the overall app performance.
Though the app is currently listed on the Google Play Store for pre-registration, OpenAI has not yet shared a launch date for its Android arrival. Peebles says it should be live soon, but he did not offer more details.
Third-party app store data from Appfigures estimates Sora has seen around two million downloads since its launch less than a month ago. This figure is notable given that the app remains invite-only and launched in just the US and Canada.