Storytelling tool: OpenAI's Sora comes to Germany

Sora is the video AI from OpenAI, although the AI company now calls it a storytelling tool. This is now available in the EU and the UK. People with a ChatGPT Pro or Plus account can access it. "Sora allows users to turn their imagination into stunning videos with just a few clicks," the press release states. This also includes video editing and the option to exchange ideas on Discord.

The editing functions include Remix –, which can be used to remove or replace individual elements in a video. Re-Cut is used to extend selected frames. Storyboard allows you to organize a timeline of videos or sequences. Loop creates classic endless repetitions, while Blend allows you to combine two videos into one clip. There are also presets: these are styles such as film noir, paper art and more, which you can also create yourself. All functions offer even finer adjustments and possibilities. The overview is quite intuitive and the structure corresponds to the controls you are used to from conventional software. For example, you can choose between a list view and square preview images. The tools are located in a bar.

There are Sora channels on Discord where artists can exchange ideas. There will also be a Sora Office Hours – at 8 p.m. on the day of release, i.e. Friday, February 28, 2025, which is a kind of master class.

First artists from the EU play with Sora

To show what is possible with the video generator, OpenAI has once again collaborated with several artists. These include Josephine Miller from the UK. She was one of the very first ten people to test Sora. Miller regularly shows her clothing designs, which consist of moving flowers and plants, on popular social media channels.

Boris Eldagsen from Germany was allowed to try it out; the artist had deliberately caused the first scandal over an AI image in a renowned photo competition. The result is a video called "Measurement is King!". OpenAI writes that it is a "Kafkaesque deconstruction of business jargon from his Professional Development series". It shows a man trying to measure another man. The measuring tapes are not always physically correct – typical of video AI –, but this does absolutely nothing to detract from the content. On the contrary, this not only gives the video a threatening feel, but also a bit of slapstick.

Sora has not yet been available in this country, but has been available in the rest of the world since December. When making the announcement, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman referred to "regional restrictions". When asked by heise online, he was told that the talks with the regulators had simply taken a little longer.

This is not the first time that an AI company has said that it cannot offer a function in the EU for regulatory reasons. It is often unclear whether these are problems that could arise due to data protection or the AI Act – or whether it is more about exerting pressure on the regulators and the population. In December, Altman said that it could take a while before Sora would be available in the EU.

Currently, Sora can be used to create videos of up to 20 seconds in length; the resolution varies, but is also limited. By default, the videos are provided with a watermark, but this can be removed if desired. Even with a Pro or Plus account, you cannot generate as many videos as you like. That would be too expensive. And OpenAI does not have a particularly stable business model. Altman says it's "crazy", but even with the 200 US dollar subscription, you don't earn as much money as is needed in the form of computing power from those customers.

(emw)