It's a Whole New World.
The Walt Disney Company announced Thursday that it has reached a three-year agreement with OpenAI to bring its popular characters to the company's Sora AI video generator.
Disney is also investing $1 billion in owner ChatGPT. The company says it will also become a “major customer” of OpenAI, using its services to develop new products and experiences, including for its Disney+ streaming service.
“Under the agreement, Disney and OpenAI reaffirm their shared commitment to the responsible use of AI that protects the safety of users and the rights of creators,” the companies said in a statement. statement.
OpenAI also says it is committed to “implementing responsible measures to further ensure trust and safety, including age-appropriate policies.”
Disney says the deal includes Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Lilo, Stitch, Ariel, Belle, Beast, Cinderella, Baymax, Simba, Mufasa, as well as characters from the worlds of Encanto, Frozen, Inside Out, Moana, Monsters, Inc., Toy Story, Up and Zootopia.
“Technological innovation is constantly shaping the evolution of entertainment, bringing with it new ways to create and share great stories with the world,” said Bob Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company. in a press release.
“The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry, and through this collaboration with OpenAI, we will thoughtfully and responsibly expand the scope of our storytelling through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their work,” it said.
“Combining iconic Disney stories and characters with OpenAI's revolutionary technology empowers Disney fans to imagine and create in ways we've never seen before, giving them richer, more personal ways to connect with the Disney characters and stories they love.”
Disney shares jumped more than 2% in opening trading at 9:30 a.m. THIS.
News of the deal rocked the tech and entertainment worlds Thursday in large part because Disney has been so protective of its vast portfolio of intellectual properties, from animated shorts from the 1920s to modern superhero and fantasy franchises.
The studio has taken aggressive legal action for years to block unauthorized use of its iconic characters, logos and music. Disney also lobbied Congress to expand copyright rights in the United States, including a 1998 federal law that some critics called the “Mickey Mouse Protection Act.”
Namely, Disney sent a cease-and-desist letter to OpenAI rival Google on Wednesday, alleging that Google's artificial intelligence services violate Disney's copyrights.
In the letter, Disney wrote that it believes Google is “infringing Disney's copyrights on a massive scale.”
“Disney has been voicing its concerns to Google for months, but Google has done nothing in response,” Disney's lawyer also wrote. “Google’s massive infringement of Disney’s copyrighted works must stop.”
Disney said it expects a “quick response” from Google on the matter.
During Disney's Nov. 13 conference call, Iger hinted that the company was working on a deal with an artificial intelligence company, but did not name any specific firms.
“We've had some interesting conversations with some AI companies,” Iger said. “Some of them I would characterize as quite productive conversations.”
Iger said that during these negotiations, Disney “was seeking to not only protect the value of our intellectual property and our creative engines, but also to find opportunities for us to use their technology to engage more closely with consumers.”
This story originally appeared on NBCNews.com.
