Introduction

Starting today, subscribers to OpenAI's ChatGPT Pro and Plus plans can dive into the creative realm of Sora, the company's new video generator. However, there’s a catch: users in the European Union will not have access at launch.

Sora's Features

During a highly anticipated livestream event on Monday, OpenAI unveiled essential insights about Sora. The initial version, dubbed Sora Turbo, allows users to generate short video clips ranging from 5 to 20 seconds, adaptable to various aspect ratios and resolutions. “This early version of Sora will make mistakes—it’s not perfect, but we believe it’s already valuable for enhancing human creativity,” stated Will Peebles, an OpenAI technical staff member and Sora's research lead. “We are excited to see the innovative content that will emerge from Sora.”

Prominent tech influencer Marcus Brownlee provided an exclusive early look at Sora, illustrating its impressive capabilities. Users can create multiple iterations of video clips based on text prompts or images and even edit existing videos using a handy Re-mix tool. In addition, a Storyboard interface enables seamless video sequences, while a Blend tool merges elements from two videos to forge a unique creation. Features like Loop and Re-cut give users more control over editing, providing a tailored video experience.

Launch Challenges

However, the launch has not been without hiccups. Reports indicate that Sora faced significant capacity constraints on its debut day.

Credit System and Pricing

Sora employs a credit system for video generation, with costs based on resolution and clip duration. ChatGPT Plus subscribers receive 1,000 credits monthly, while Pro subscribers gain access to 10,000 credits. While 480p videos range from 20 to 150 credits, 720p videos cost anywhere from 30 to 540 credits, and 1080p videos can go from 100 to a staggering 2,000 credits. Plus plans allow for 50 priority videos at 720p, while Pro includes up to 500 priority videos at 1080p. Notably, Sora videos are watermarked by default, though Pro users can generate unlimited low-priority videos without watermarks.

Exclusion of EU Users

European users, unfortunately, will have to wait. OpenAI's newly published support page explicitly excludes all EU countries from the list of supported regions for Sora on both web and mobile platforms. The company cautioned that accessing Sora from unsupported territories might lead to account suspensions or bans. OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, mentioned during the livestream, “We’re working hard to bring Sora to Europe but don’t have a timeline to share right now. There are other territories we're unable to operate in.”

Previous Delays

This isn't the first instance of OpenAI bypassing EU countries for a product launch. Earlier this summer, the rollout of Advanced Voice Mode for ChatGPT left European users in limbo. OpenAI linked the delay to “additional external reviews” mandated in certain regions to ensure compliance with local regulations.

While Advanced Voice Mode finally launched in October for most EU users, the ongoing delays have sparked frustrations. As the tech world eagerly anticipates widespread access to Sora, the fate of European creatives remains uncertain. What will OpenAI's next move be? Only time will tell!