OpenAI launches Sora 2: AI creates realistic videos, opens social network to compete with TikTok

In recent years, artificial intelligence has become more than just a vague concept that only appears in research labs. It has crept into every corner of life, from replying to work messages, supporting content creation, to drawing, photo editing, and even voice simulation. Every year, we witness spectacular advances that AI brings, making the gap between technology and life increasingly erased.

In 2025, OpenAI continued to affirm its pioneering position by introducing Sora, an AI-integrated short video sharing application, along with the launch of a new generation video creation model called Sora 2. This is not only a new technology product, but also an important turning point in the journey to bring AI closer to ordinary users.

Sora promises to create a completely new playground where video production no longer depends on cameras, lighting or editing techniques. Users only need imagination and a few descriptions, the rest will be handled by AI. What's more special is that OpenAI has built Sora according to the social network model like TikTok, where videos are not only created to be kept, but also to be shared, interacted with and spread in a way that is familiar to billions of people around the world.

1. Sora 2: A leap forward in AI video creation technology

While previous AI video creation tools have been criticized for their lack of realism, distorted images, and unnatural character movements, Sora 2 has solved almost all of those limitations. This is a model designed to follow the physical principles of the real world, making images, lighting, movements, and interactions between objects much smoother and more accurate.

This ability makes a fundamental difference. When a user enters a query like “a boy flying a kite on the beach on a windy afternoon,” Sora 2 not only renders the beach, sky, and kite, but also recreates the reflections on the sand, the way the wind blows the boy’s hair back, and the natural movement of the kite string in the wind. This is something that previous video models often failed to do, leaving footage that felt illogical and artificial.

Another highlight of Sora 2 is its flexible input capabilities. Users can start with a detailed text description or simply provide a photo to suggest style and content. The model not only understands natural language but also processes the image to produce more accurate and vivid results. This makes Sora 2 not just a tool, but more like a creative partner that accompanies the user.

2. Sora App: AI-integrated short video social network

What makes Sora special isn’t just the video-editing technology, but how OpenAI has chosen to implement it as a social application. Instead of just a tool for creating videos and storing them locally, Sora is designed as a social platform where users can share their creations in a timeline, interact, remix other people’s content, and create a creative ecosystem around AI.

The biggest difference is that the videos in Sora do not come from a camera, but are entirely created by AI. Instead of having to hold a phone to record daily life, users just need to think of an idea, type a few sentences of description and immediately have a short video ready to post. This brings an unprecedented freedom of imagination, as any thought can be turned into image and movement in seconds.

A standout feature of the app is “cameo.” Users can authenticate their face and voice, then allow friends or acquaintances to use that image to put into AI videos. This allows you to appear in a variety of creative works without having to directly participate in filming. This is a mechanism that opens up many interesting possibilities for collaboration and interaction, when personal images are no longer limited to the scope of traditional selfies or videos, but can become creative ingredients in countless AI-built scenarios.

Sora’s social network model has many similarities to TikTok in the way it operates. Users can scroll through videos in an endless feed, like, comment, share, or remix content. But the fundamental difference is that all the videos here are products of AI, providing a novel experience where people are both entertained and admire the power of computerized imagination.

3. Privacy and deepfake concerns

With deepfake technologies raising global concerns about image and voice manipulation, Sora’s decision to allow the use of individuals’ faces and voices in AI videos may be cause for concern. OpenAI is well aware of this and has built a series of measures to control and limit risks.

First, users are required to submit authenticated videos to be able to use their faces and voices in cameos. This process ensures that the images and sounds fed into the AI ​​are truly theirs and cannot be stolen from other sources by bad actors. Additionally, any videos that contain personally identifiable elements will be transparently labeled “AI-generated,” making it easier for viewers to differentiate between real and AI-generated content.

Another layer of security comes from the metadata that accompanies the videos. This information helps verify the origin and creation of the video, thereby preventing the content from being edited or reused for fraudulent purposes. All of this shows that OpenAI is not only focused on the creative side, but also on social responsibility and user privacy.

4. Differences from TikTok

While TikTok is known for its powerful recommendation algorithm, which brings users a wealth of content from around the world, Sora takes a different approach. It prioritizes content from friends, acquaintances, or channels users already follow. This creates a more intimate space where real social connections are emphasized rather than being overwhelmed by a flood of random videos.

This isn’t a regression, it’s a design decision. OpenAI recognizes that endless scrolling can lead to addiction to short-form content and information overload. So Sora is built to encourage users to create and share more with their closest connections, rather than passively consuming a vast amount of content. This is a positive constraint, balancing freshness and sustainability in the social experience.

5. Who will get to experience Sora and Sora 2 first?

Sora is currently available as an invitation-only beta test for iOS users in the US and Canada, allowing OpenAI to better control the number of participants and gather real-world feedback to improve the product before a wider rollout.

In addition, ChatGPT Pro subscribers will be the first to access Sora 2 with all the advanced features. This is both an experimental and a commercial strategy move, as it encourages users to upgrade to a paid service to access the most advanced technology.

Sora and Sora 2 are more than just new products to showcase the power of AI. They represent an important strategic step for OpenAI in moving artificial intelligence out of the realm of pure research and commerce and into the realm of entertainment and popular culture.

This is significant in many aspects. Firstly, it makes digital content more personalized than ever. Users do not need a professional production team to create videos with their own mark, serving to express themselves, promote their personal brand or simply entertain. Secondly, it opens up a new generation of social networking model, where people not only share their real lives but also share their imagination in the form of moving images. And finally, it poses challenges and opportunities for the entire creative industry, from advertising, cinema to education, when producing high-quality content has become easier than ever.

6. Sora's Future

The birth of Sora raises some interesting questions for the future. Will humans still maintain a clear line between real and fake content as AI becomes more integrated into our lives? Will traditional artists and creators see it as a powerful tool, or will they see it as a threat that devalues ​​artistic labor? And how will content management and moderation systems adapt when simulated videos can be created at breakneck speed?

While there are no definitive answers yet, it's clear that Sora has opened a new chapter for artificial intelligence, where it not only helps humans work but also contributes to reshaping the way we entertain, create, and connect.

With the launch of Sora 2 and the TikTok-like Sora app, OpenAI has demonstrated that AI is not just a backend technology, but can become the center of entertainment and social experiences in the digital age. This is a socio-cultural push where people can create, share, and interact in a content world built by machines but reflecting their own imagination.

Sora may not be able to replace TikTok or Instagram immediately, but it has shaped a new direction, where digital content is no longer limited by recording capabilities, but expanded infinitely by artificial intelligence. And perhaps, that is the greatest value that OpenAI brings through this strategic move.