Key Points

According to an executive, OpenAI's AI short video app, Sora, surpassed 1 million downloads in less than five days.

Users can use Sora to generate short videos for free by entering text prompts.

The app has sparked strong opposition from organizations such as the Motion Picture Association (MPA), which claim Sora infringes on copyright.

According to an executive, OpenAI's Sora app, launched in late September, surpassed 1 million downloads in less than five days.

Bill Peebles, head of OpenAI's Sora business, shared this milestone in a post on the social platform X on Wednesday evening (October 8th). He said Sora reached 1 million downloads even faster than the company's popular AI chatbot, ChatGPT, which now has 800 million weekly active users.

Sora allows users to generate short videos for free by entering a text prompt. The app is currently only available on iOS devices and requires an invitation code. Despite these limitations, Sora has climbed to the top of the Apple App Store download charts.

"The team is working flat out to meet the surge in demand," Peebles wrote in a post.

Sora's launch has also sparked backlash, with the controversy centering on whether the app infringes on copyright. CNBC found videos on the Sora platform that included characters from popular shows like "SpongeBob SquarePants" and "South Park," and users can independently generate multiple well-known characters.

The MPA, which represents the interests of the television, film, and home video industries, said in a statement on Monday (October 6th): "On OpenAI's service, videos that infringe the copyrights of our members' films, series, and characters have become widespread."

MPA CEO Charles Rivkin said in a statement: "OpenAI must take immediate and decisive action to address this issue. Well-established copyright law is designed to protect the rights of creators, and it applies equally in this case."

According to a blog post published by OpenAI last week, CEO Sam Altman said the company will soon provide copyright holders with more granular control over character generation.

At a briefing with reporters at the company's DevDay on Monday (October 6th), Altman addressed user complaints that Sora's restrictions were too restrictive. He pleaded for patience, saying the company was still developing best practices.

"Please be understanding. The iteration rate will be rapid," Altman said.