The leak appears to have originated from early Beta testers who are frustrated with what they describe as “unpaid R&D and PR.”
Although OpenAI announced Sora back in February, no official release date has been provided since. However, a wave of AI-generated videos created using the OpenAI Sora Video Generator surfaced online yesterday.
The Controversy Behind the OpenAI Sora Video Generator Leak
TechCrunch discovered a project on the AI developer platform Hugging Face that allows users to generate videos using Sora. Alongside this project, an open letter addressed to OpenAI was posted.
“Dear Corporate AI Overlords,” the letter begins, accusing OpenAI of exploiting the participating artists.
“We were granted access to Sora under the promise of being early testers, red teamers, and creative collaborators. Instead, we feel manipulated into ‘art washing,’ being used to convince the world that Sora is a valuable tool for artists.
☠️ WE ARE NOT YOUR: free bug testers, PR puppets, training data, validation tokens ☠️”
Artists’ Concerns Over Unpaid Labor and PR Misuse
The letter continues, clarifying that the artists are not against AI as a creative tool but take issue with the way the artist program has been implemented and the direction of Sora’s development.
“We’re sharing this with the public in hopes that OpenAI becomes more transparent, artist-friendly, and genuinely supportive of the arts beyond orchestrated PR stunts,” it adds.
The artists claim their involvement has made them feel like unpaid laborers for a company valued at $150 billion, which has raised billions in funding. They also object to OpenAI’s requirement that all outputs from Sora must be pre-approved before being shared.
“This early access program seems less about fostering creative expression or providing feedback and more about PR and marketing,” the letter argues.
OpenAI’s Response to the Sora Leak and Future Plans
When approached by The Verge, OpenAI declined to confirm the authenticity of the leak but stated that its “research preview” program is entirely voluntary.
“Sora is still in research preview, and we are striving to balance creativity with robust safety measures for broader use,” OpenAI spokesperson Niko Felix said.
“Hundreds of artists in our alpha program have influenced Sora’s development, helping prioritize new features and safeguards. Participation is voluntary, with no obligation to provide feedback or use the tool. We’ve been pleased to offer free access to these artists and will continue to support them through grants, events, and other initiatives. We believe AI can be a powerful creative tool and are committed to making Sora both effective and safe.”
