Billion-dollar OpenAI deal allows users to make content with Disney characters : NPR

Zootopia is one of the properties included in Disney’s billion-dollar licensing deal with OpenAI.

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Disney

If you ever wanted to imagine a scenario between you, Han Solo and the crew of Zootopiayou’re lucky.

The Walt Disney Company has entered into a licensing agreement with OpenAI that brings Disney characters and images to Sora, the artificial intelligence company’s short-form video generator. According to a joint statement released by the two companies, the three-year licensing agreement will allow users to create and share videos using “more than 200” animated characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars.

The press release adds in particular that “the agreement does not include any likeness or voice talent”.

As part of the deal, Disney will invest $1 billion in OpenAI and become a “major customer” of the company.

Fairplay, the nonprofit advocacy group dedicated to reducing children’s screen time, released a statement saying the Disney OpenAI deal “betrays children.”

“OpenAI claims that children are prohibited from using Sora, but here they are luring young children to their platform using some of their favorite characters. Shame on the ‘House of Mouse’ for aiding and abetting OpenAI’s efforts to get young children addicted to its dangerous platform and products,” the statement said.

Disney and OpenAI say in their statement that the two companies share a commitment to protecting creators’ rights while “maintaining robust controls to prevent the generation of illegal or harmful content.”

Sora users will be able to benefit from this agreement from 2026.