OpenAI is discontinuing its Sora video platform app as part of a broader strategic shift toward business and coding tools. Berber Jin reports for the Wall Street Journal that CEO Sam Altman announced the changes to staff, saying the company would wind down all products built on its video models.
The shutdown affects the consumer-facing Sora app, a developer version of the platform, and video functionality inside ChatGPT. OpenAI launched the mobile Sora app in September last year, positioning it as a TikTok-style feed for AI-generated video content.
The decision reflects a significant change in direction. OpenAI is now redirecting computing resources and top talent toward productivity and agentic tools. Agentic systems allow AI software to work autonomously to carry out tasks such as writing code or analyzing data, often on a user’s computer.
Last week, OpenAI announced it was combining its ChatGPT desktop app, coding tool Codex, and browser Atlas into one unified application. The company’s applications chief, Fidji Simo, recently told employees they could not afford to be distracted by “side quests.”
OpenAI is also preparing for a potential initial public offering as soon as the fourth quarter of this year, adding financial pressure to streamline its product lineup.
The Sora team will now shift its focus to longer-term projects, including robotics, according to Altman.
