Disney is contracting with OpenAI to let Sora create AI videos featuring her characters

The Walt Disney Company announced 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 investing $1 billion in OpenAI stock.

Launched in September, Sora lets users create short videos using simple prompts. Through this new agreement, users will be able to draw on more than 200 animated, masked characters and creatures 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 and Monsters Inc. And Toy Story, Up, and Zootopia. Users will also be able to draw on animated or comic versions of Marvel and Lucasfilm characters such as 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 visual images using text prompts.

Disney says the agreement does not include any likenesses or voices of the talent.

“Rapid advances in AI represent an important moment for our industry, and through this collaboration with OpenAI, we will thoughtfully and responsibly expand our storytelling through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their work,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said in a statement.

Disney says that alongside the agreement, it will “become a major customer of OpenAI,” where it will use its APIs to build new products, tools, and experiences, including Disney+.

“Disney is the global gold standard in storytelling, and we are excited to partner to allow Sora and ChatGPT Images to expand the way people create and experience great content,” Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, said in a statement. “This agreement shows how AI companies and creative leaders can work together responsibly to foster innovation that benefits society, respect the importance of creativity, and help businesses reach broad new audiences.”

It is worth noting that Disney filed a lawsuit against the artificial intelligence 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 that the company is not completely closing the door on AI platforms.