It's only been two days since OpenAI abandoned Android-compatible version of the Sora app, but the popularity of the AI social media app seems to know no bounds. A new report from Appfigures has revealed that the Android app was downloaded 470,000 times on its first day of availability. The data shows that this is four times the number of downloads compared to the initial launch of the Sora iOS app in September. TechCrunchwho originally broke the news.
Keep in mind that the iOS app has been downloaded. more than a million times in less than five days. It was also limited to North America and required an invitation code. Because Sora refused the invitation code requirement and opened the app to more countries, it makes sense that downloads for Android would be higher than for iOS. But it's still a staggering statistic, even for an application that has quickly become one of the most powerful and controversial developments in artificial intelligence to date.
The Android app is just one of many updates released by OpenAI in recent weeks. In a new post OpenAI Sora CEO Bill Peebles said: coming soon to the AI-video app, including new creation tools, improved social features, and long-awaited Android support. OpenAI also stated that it will working with unions such as SAG-AFTRA and other celebrities and public figures to help control the creation of potentially inappropriate or illegal videos, including deepfakes.
You can download Sora right now at Google Play Store and start scrolling right away. Here's everything there is in the Sora app. For more information, check out our guide to how to recognize videos created by AI.
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Cameos and Editing Tools
Sora has recently been given new character creation tools in the form of character cameos that now go beyond humans. Cameo is Sora's core feature, which allows you to use other people's likenesses to create almost any AI video. Soon you'll be able to play as your dog, guinea pig, favorite stuffed animal, or created characters from existing Sora videos. Some Halloween themed characters were added recently.
The app's generation interface will also highlight trending episodes in real time, likely based on popular existing social media features such as the For You page or Explore page on Instagram.
OpenAI also introduces basic video editing tools, starting with the ability to stitch clips together right in the app. Peebles says more advanced editing features are coming, hinting at a broader creative set that aims to take Sora beyond short, one-off generations into an app that professional creators can use.
On the social side, the team is experimenting with new ways to use Sora with friends and communities, rather than just a global feed. This could mean that channels for your university, work, hobbies or sports teams will bring a more localized feel to what has until now been a largely chaotic public stream of AI videos.
These changes follow Sora's first major update released earlier this month, which introduced longer video limits and a storyboard feature. The company announced that free Sora users can create videos up to 15 seconds long in the iPhone app and on the web (this is the only way Android users can use Sora for now). Pro users also get an extra 10 seconds when creating content online, for a total of 35 seconds. The announcement came the day after Google updated its popular video model with artificial intelligenceVeo 3, for processing longer generations of video.
New payment methods for videos
Since OpenAI has added new features and opened up its app to everyone (no invitation code required), this is also presented payment plans. Previously, free users could create up to 30 videos per day, while Pro users were limited to 100 videos per day. Now, if someone reaches the generation limit, they can pay $4 for an additional 10 video generations.
Since your Sora account is linked to your ChatGPT account, if you pay for ChatGPT Pro, you are a paying Sora user. For more information see all payment plans.
Storyboard
Storyboard, available only to Pro users on the web, allows creators to plan out videos on the web before making them. Storyboarding has long been part of the professional filmmaking process and is sometimes included in more professional programs. Google Artificial intelligence movie making software Flowfor example, allows you to create storyboards. But this is an interesting and somewhat unexpected addition to Sora.
Sora has only been around for a short time, but the app's vibe is focused on shorter, funnier videos, which echoes OpenAI's claim that the app is designed to help people connect with their friends. Professional-grade videos that are longer and better planned aren't all that common, but upcoming updates will likely change that.
This could be a sign that OpenAI is trying to attract professional creators that it has previously alienated. Professional creators will need storyboarding, video editing, longer runtimes, and higher resolutions, and OpenAI appears to be quickly meeting those needs.
(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET's parent company, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in April, alleging that it violated Ziff Davis' copyrights in the training and operation of its artificial intelligence systems.)
