Sora app's hyperreal AI videos ignite online trust crisis as downloads surge - Los Angeles Times
The Sora app is a new short video app released by ChatGPT maker OpenAI, and it's causing a stir online. Users are sharing their AI-generated videos across social media, and the app has already crossed a million downloads in less than a week. But the app's hyperreal videos are raising concerns about trust and authenticity.
The videos are so realistic that they can be hard to distinguish from real footage. Users can create 10-second videos with custom text prompts, background sound, and dialogue. Through a feature called "Cameos," users can superimpose their faces or friends' faces into existing videos.
However, the app's lax approach to copyright restrictions has led to the recreation of copyrighted material, including dead celebrities. This has sparked outrage from the families of deceased actors, such as Zelda Williams, who has criticized the app for misrepresenting her father, Robin Williams. The estates of dead actors are now racing to protect their likenesses in the age of AI.
The app has also been criticized for its "AI slop," which includes videos that are hard to look away from, such as a grandmother chasing a crocodile at the door. Critics warn that the casual "likeness appropriation" of any common person or situation could lead to public confusion, enhance misinformation, and erode public trust.
As legal pressure mounts, Sora has become more strict about when it will allow the recreation of copyrighted characters. It increasingly puts up content policy violation notices. The app's future is uncertain, but it's clear that the technology is raising important questions about trust, authenticity, and the use of likenesses in AI videos.
