OpenAI to give content owners more control, revenue opportunities with Sora AI

OpenAI is rolling out new tools to strengthen content owners’ control over how their intellectual property is used in its AI video app, Sora, while also preparing a revenue-sharing framework for creators who allow their characters to be used by users.

In a blog post on Friday, CEO Sam Altman said the company will offer “more granular control” for rights holders, including television and movie studios, enabling them to block or permit the use of specific characters. The move comes as scrutiny around AI-generated content and copyright protection continues to intensify across the creative industry.

OpenAI’s newly launched Sora app, available in the U.S. and Canada, lets users create and share 10-second AI videos generated from text prompts. The app has already gained traction for its ability to remix and reimagine popular media content, though it has also sparked debates on ownership and attribution.

Altman acknowledged that users are generating far more video content than expected, often for niche communities. To balance innovation with fair compensation, OpenAI plans to experiment with a monetization model that rewards copyright holders. “It will take some trial and error,” Altman noted, but testing will begin soon before expanding to OpenAI’s broader suite of AI tools.

Backed by Microsoft, OpenAI’s push into multimodal AI through Sora marks its latest step in competing with similar tools from Meta and Google, both of which are exploring AI-driven short-form video platforms.

With Sora, OpenAI aims to align creativity, compensation, and control setting the stage for a new era in AI-powered content creation.

MrBeast Warns of “Scary Times” for Creator Economy as OpenAI’s Sora Lets Creators Monetize AI Videos

OpenAI has unveiled major updates to its AI video platform, Sora, introducing new tools aimed at both creators and rights holders. The company announced a shift from an “opt-out” to an “opt-in” system, giving creators control over how their likenesses and characters are used. Alongside this, OpenAI introduced a revenue-sharing model, allowing original creators to earn from videos generated on Sora. The updates come after a wave of viral AI clips featuring popular characters such as Pikachu and Mario, which helped Sora reach the No. 1 spot on the U.S. App Store within 24 hours, ahead of competitors like Gemini and ChatGPT.

Sora, now in its second version, is designed to let users generate AI videos—including themselves—shared in a vertical, TikTok-style feed. The platform represents OpenAI’s first significant attempt to balance AI-driven creativity with copyright protection, offering monetization opportunities while addressing concerns around intellectual property and originality.

The launch, however, has sparked concern among top creators. YouTube sensation MrBeast, who ranks No. 1 on Forbes’ 2025 list with $85 million in earnings and 634 million followers, cautioned that AI-generated videos could threaten the livelihoods of millions of content creators.

When AI videos are just as good as normal videos, I wonder what that will do to YouTube and how it will impact the millions of creators currently making content for a living.. scary times.

— MrBeast (@MrBeast) October 5, 2025

Posting on social media, he questioned how the rise of AI might impact those making a living from digital content, calling the moment “scary times.” MrBeast has previously experimented with AI tools, including a thumbnail generator that was later removed following backlash, highlighting the complex relationship between creators and AI technologies.

As AI platforms like Sora and YouTube’s AI video tools continue to grow, the industry faces a pivotal moment: balancing innovation and monetization with the risks of undercutting human creativity and audience trust. With Sora hitting viral success almost overnight, the debate over AI’s role in the creator economy is only intensifying.