The Walt Disney Company announced on Thursday that it has signed a three-year partnership with OpenAI that will bring its iconic characters to the company’s Sora AI video generator. Disney is also making a $1 billion equity investment in OpenAI.
Disney CEO Bob Iger told CNBC that the deal comes with about a year of exclusivity. After the year is up, Disney can license its IP to other AI companies.
Launched in September, Sora allows users to create short videos using simple prompts. With this new agreement, users will be able to draw on more than 200 animated, masked, and creature characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars, including costumes, props, vehicles, and more.
These characters include iconic faces like Mickey Mouse, Ariel, Belle, Cinderella, Baymax, and Simba, as well as characters from Encanto, Frozen, Inside Out, Moana, Monsters, Inc., Toy Story, Up, and Zootopia. Users will also be able to draw on animated or illustrated versions of Marvel and Lucasfilm characters like Black Panther, Captain America, Deadpool, Groot, Iron Man, Darth Vader, Han Solo, Stormtroopers, and more.
Users will also be able to draw on these characters while using ChatGPT Images, the feature in ChatGPT that allows users to create visuals using text prompts.
The agreement does not include any talent likenesses or voices, Disney says.
“The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry, and through this collaboration with OpenAI we will thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach of our storytelling through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their works,” said Disney CEO Bob Iger in a statement.
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Disney says that alongside the agreement, it will “become a major customer of OpenAI,” as it will use its APIs to build new products, tools, and experiences, including for Disney+.
“Disney is the global gold standard for storytelling, and we’re excited to partner to allow Sora and ChatGPT Images to expand the way people create and experience great content,” said Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, in a statement. “This agreement shows how AI companies and creative leaders can work together responsibly to promote innovation that benefits society, respect the importance of creativity, and help works reach vast new audiences.”
It’s worth noting that Disney has sued the generative AI platform Midjourney for ignoring requests to stop violating its intellectual property rights. Disney also sent a cease-and-desist letter to Character.AI, urging the chatbot company to remove Disney characters from among the millions of AI companions on its platform.
Disney’s agreement with OpenAI indicates the company isn’t fully closing the door on AI platforms.
