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Post: The Dawn of Sora: OpenAI’s Video Generation Tool Sparks Debate Among YouTubers
The Dawn of Sora: OpenAI’s Video Generation Tool Sparks Debate Among YouTubers ‘It’s frightening’: Divided YouTubers on OpenAI’s Video Tool Sora
Paris (AFP) – OpenAI, a company based in the US, unveiled a tool known as Sora last week, capable of creating highly realistic video snippets from brief text descriptions. This innovation has led to mixed reactions among content creators, pondering whether their roles are next to be overtaken by algorithmic advancements. The spectrum of responses to Sora ranges from enthusiastic embrace to concerns about the industry’s future trajectory.
YouTuber Marques Brownlee expressed his concerns by describing the technology as “frightening” and a “threat” to his profession.
Conversely, Caleb Ward, of the AI filmmaking duo Curious Refuge, expressed eagerness to explore the tool, sharing his anticipation with his YouTube audience. Despite their differing views, both Ward and Brownlee recognize this development as a pivotal moment for their field.
“This is a monumental shift for the filmmaking and creative community,” Ward remarked, following a surge in popularity for a trailer he produced in the style of Wes Anderson for Star Wars.
ChatGPT’s creator, OpenAI, announced that Sora is not yet accessible to the general public, with its potential applications not specifically mentioned. However, it was noted that “a selection of visual artists, designers, and filmmakers” are participating in its trial phase.
‘Like an Amoeba’
OpenAI’s announcement was accompanied by sample videos demonstrating its capabilities, including a fashionable woman strolling through Tokyo, a cat awakening its owner, and a herd of woolly mammoths in motion, which garnered immediate admiration and acclaim, typical for OpenAI releases.
“The quality astonished me,” stated Anis Ayari, an AI engineer and streamer known as Defend Intelligence, who sees potential for the tool in generating virtual presenters.
Yet, skepticism exists among those who find the videos to remain in the “uncanny valley,” where minor flaws in near-photo-realistic visuals can induce discomfort among viewers.
Commentator Ed Zitron highlighted flaws in OpenAI’s cat video, noting an unnatural blend of the owner’s arm with a cushion and the cat’s paw appearing anomalously, likening it to an amoeba’s explosion from an arm.
In his newsletter, Zitron argued that the prohibitive cost and resource demands render AI video tools impractical, with an inability to unify clip styles, limiting their utility to brief segments.
AI Fatigue
As Sora joins an increasingly competitive market, with entities like Google, Stability AI, and other smaller firms making their mark, YouTube announced its initiative last September to develop tools for AI-generated videos and backgrounds for creators. Despite these advancements, the existing tools have yet to achieve widespread acclaim.
French streamer FibreTigre shared his experience with AI video tools, ultimately discontinuing their use due to ethical concerns over utilizing content trained on other artists’ works and dissatisfaction with the output quality.
He criticized the aesthetics of AI-generated videos and anticipated a future where audiences might grow weary of AI, valuing non-artificial creations more highly.
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About the Author: Bernard Aybout (Virii8)
