Disney has agreed to invest $1bn (£740m) in OpenAI in a deal that will allow people to use many of its iconic characters in chatbot ChatGPT and video creation tool Sora.
It's the first major studio to license parts of its catalog to the tech giant, which could have major implications for the studio's future plans.
This means fans will be able to create and share photos and videos of more than 200 characters from Disney franchises, including Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars.
The move comes as OpenAI faces growing questions about how its rapidly evolving technology is being used, and as concerns grow in Hollywood about the impact of AI on the creative industries.
According to the blog post announcing the news, the list of eligible characters includes characters from Disney's Zootopia, Moana and Encanto, as well as characters such as Star Wars' Luke Skywalker and Marvel's Deadpool.
This, of course, includes Mickey and Minnie Mouse.
But what the characters will sound like remains unclear, with Disney saying the agreement “does not include any images of talent or voices.”
“The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said.
“Through this collaboration with OpenAI, we will thoughtfully and responsibly expand our storytelling capabilities.”
It is expected that people will be able to start creating videos and images in Sora and ChatGPT in early 2026.
The deal comes against the backdrop of reports On Wednesday, Disney's lawyers sent Google a cease and desist letter, accusing the tech firm of violating its copyrights “on a massive scale.”
The BBC asked Google to respond.
Joel Smith, a partner at the intellectual property law firm Simmons & Simmons, said Disney's deal with OpenAI showed that “rights holders and major AI developers are moving quickly to enter into joint licensing agreements to access content for education and future use.”
Entertainment trade union Equity says actors' rights must be protected. The group is currently voting on thousands of artists asking if they would be willing to give up on-set digital scanning to push for stronger AI protections.
Katie Sweet, Equity's head of television and film, said the deal between Disney and OpenAI validated “why our members are fighting to protect AI.”
“The recorded material that will be sold in this amazing big money deal is the work of professional artists and their rights must be protected,” she said.
Sora's hyper-realistic videos have proven popular in the US, but they have come under heavy criticism from those who claim it has also led to some people creating offensive deepfakes of dead public figures.
In October OpenAI paused the video tool to create images of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. after the app created “disrespectful” images of the civil rights leader.
The firm acknowledged the need for stronger protections after videos of him saying offensive things emerged, sparking a public outcry.
Other similar videos featuring President John F. Kennedy, Queen Elizabeth II and physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking were also widely shared.
In some cases, family members have called on OpenAI to stop allowing the creation of videos.
Zelda Williams, daughter of the late comedian Robin Williams, urged people stop sending her videos created by artificial intelligence her father.
Warner Music Group announced the plans in November. launch an artificial intelligence music venture with tech startup Sunoa year after she sued the firm in a landmark case.
