Is OpenAI’s Sora finally getting a business model that respects creators’ rights?

OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, is charting a significant strategic shift in how it manages its artificial intelligence video generation platform, Sora. The company now plans to monetize Sora while granting rights holders stronger control over the use of their intellectual property. This marks a decisive turn from the earlier “opt-out by default” approach that drew backlash from creators, studios, and legal experts.

How OpenAI’s Sora evolved into a test case for AI video regulation

Sora represents OpenAI’s most ambitious foray into generative video, allowing users to create short, highly realistic clips from text prompts. Since its introduction, Sora has demonstrated startling visual accuracy — generating 10-second videos that blend human-like motion, lighting, and emotion. Yet that realism has also invited scrutiny. Unlike text or image generation, video creation sits at the crossroads of multiple complex regulatory and ethical frameworks, from copyright law to data protection and misinformation governance.

The timing of this evolution is crucial. Generative AI has already reshaped creative industries, with models such as DALL-E for images and ChatGPT for text now deeply embedded in digital workflows. Video, however, multiplies both the opportunity and the liability. Each clip combines visual, audio, and contextual cues that could infringe on likeness rights, copyrighted film footage, or brand IP.

OpenAI’s early decision to allow copyrighted material unless rights holders opted out was a lightning rod for criticism. Major studios, creators, and advocacy groups accused the company of bypassing consent frameworks and testing legal limits. Under growing pressure, OpenAI has now reversed course, moving toward what it calls a “granular opt-in” model — where rights holders must explicitly allow the use of their characters or creations, or choose to block them entirely.

Why OpenAI’s reversal matters for creators and investors

Sam Altman, OpenAI’s chief executive officer, has publicly acknowledged that while creators were excited by Sora’s fan-fiction-like possibilities, many demanded stronger controls and transparency. The updated policy effectively hands them veto power over the use of their IP, setting a new precedent for how AI companies interact with creative rights holders.

Monetization is the other pillar of this overhaul. OpenAI plans to introduce a revenue-sharing system that rewards rights holders who consent to the use of their content in AI-generated videos. Although the financial structure remains under development, the intent is clear — OpenAI aims to build a symbiotic model where both the platform and the content owners profit.

The economics behind this decision are as important as the ethics. Generating video is resource-intensive, with massive GPU compute demands and high operational costs. Offering a financial incentive to rights holders helps legitimize the platform, offset infrastructure expenses, and reduce legal exposure. This dual-track strategy — monetization plus licensing — positions Sora as an experiment in sustainable AI content creation.

How this fits into the broader landscape of generative AI

The move also signals how far the generative AI industry has come since 2023, when the first wave of lawsuits began targeting model training practices. Authors, artists, and media houses alleged unauthorized data use, forcing AI developers to rethink data sourcing and compensation. The introduction of monetization for Sora indicates OpenAI’s recognition that scaling AI creativity will require not only technical excellence but also robust commercial partnerships.

Microsoft’s close integration with OpenAI adds another layer of strategic interest. While OpenAI remains a private company, Microsoft’s multibillion-dollar investment effectively ties its enterprise AI ambitions to OpenAI’s legal and ethical trajectory. Analysts see the monetization of Sora as part of a larger play to diversify OpenAI’s revenue base beyond ChatGPT Plus subscriptions and enterprise licenses.

Market observers estimate OpenAI’s annualized revenue run rate at around $13 billion in mid-2025, driven largely by enterprise API sales and ChatGPT usage. Introducing Sora as a paid or ad-revenue-sharing product could push that figure higher — provided the company can navigate copyright disputes without derailing growth.

What legal and operational challenges remain for Sora

Despite its pivot, OpenAI still faces unresolved legal and technical hurdles. Many videos generated under the old policy already contain copyrighted or trademarked material, raising questions about retroactive enforcement. Studios like The Walt Disney Company have reportedly opted out entirely, preferring to avoid any entanglement with generative content derived from their franchises.

Legal experts note that the definitions of “derivative work” and “fair use” remain murky in the AI era. Even with explicit opt-in mechanisms, training datasets may still include copyrighted material captured from online videos or gaming streams. Transparency about the sources used in model training will be critical to determining whether OpenAI’s practices align with global copyright standards.

The technical side presents its own complexity. Sora’s ability to replicate human gestures, voice patterns, and brand likenesses raises questions about deepfake misuse, misinformation, and personality rights. Early users have already demonstrated how easy it is to create politically sensitive or violent imagery. Despite OpenAI’s assurances about watermarking and moderation, the scalability of such safeguards remains uncertain.

How the industry is reacting to Sora’s policy shift

The creative and tech industries are split in their reactions. Some see OpenAI’s move as a positive precedent — an acknowledgment that AI must coexist with existing IP systems rather than override them. Others remain skeptical, suggesting the revenue-sharing model could mirror the early days of streaming royalties, where creators earned little despite massive platform gains.

Large media companies are watching closely. A successful rollout could inspire similar partnerships between AI developers and entertainment studios, transforming how fan-made or remix content is licensed. Conversely, if the process becomes bogged down in legal complexity or inconsistent enforcement, the industry could retreat toward stricter data-use regulation, stifling innovation.

For independent creators, the situation presents both risk and opportunity. On one hand, Sora provides new tools for low-budget production, animation, and storytelling. On the other, smaller creators may struggle to protect their own IP without the legal or financial muscle of major rights holders.

What the shift tells us about OpenAI’s long-term strategy

OpenAI’s monetization plan underscores a deeper realization: generative AI must evolve from experimental novelty to sustainable business. The company’s trajectory has mirrored that of earlier internet disruptors — rapid user adoption followed by structural adjustment once regulation and economics catch up.

This strategic maturity comes at a time when competition in AI video generation is intensifying. Meta is testing its “Vibes” short-video AI feed, while Google has unveiled Veo 3 for text-to-video generation, potentially integrating it with YouTube’s creator ecosystem. OpenAI’s advantage lies in brand recognition and technological sophistication, but maintaining that lead will require strong partnerships with creators and regulators alike.

The new policy also aligns with OpenAI’s broader push toward “alignment with human values,” a concept frequently referenced by Altman in interviews. By empowering rights holders and offering transparent monetization, OpenAI can better position itself as a responsible AI leader in the face of intensifying scrutiny from lawmakers in the United States, Europe, and Asia.

Why the opt-in model could define AI’s next chapter

The decision to abandon the opt-out policy is not merely a legal safeguard; it reflects a philosophical shift in the AI industry. The old system presumed passive consent — if creators didn’t protest, their work could be used. The opt-in model reverses that presumption, establishing explicit consent as the default.

This transition could ripple through the broader AI ecosystem. If Sora’s model proves viable, other generative platforms — from image synthesis to audio production — may adopt similar frameworks, reshaping how data, creativity, and ownership interact. Analysts view this as an inflection point that could accelerate standardization around AI licensing.

Still, practical challenges remain. The success of opt-in systems depends on enforceable infrastructure — clear metadata tagging, automated attribution, and real-time tracking of AI usage. These capabilities are still nascent, but OpenAI’s financial scale gives it a rare opportunity to lead by example.

The road ahead: collaboration or fragmentation?

The next few quarters will reveal whether OpenAI can convert its policy shift into commercial advantage. Rights holders must see tangible benefits to participate, and users must perceive value worth paying for. Investors and regulators alike will watch whether this new framework enhances or limits Sora’s creative potential.

If successful, Sora could become the first large-scale example of AI-enabled revenue sharing between technology firms and the creative industry — an outcome that redefines not just OpenAI’s business model but the economics of digital media. If it falters, it may reinforce skepticism that generative AI cannot coexist with copyright law without constant litigation.

Either way, OpenAI’s decision to monetize Sora while empowering rights holders stands as one of the most consequential experiments in modern AI governance. It’s an attempt to merge innovation with accountability — and perhaps to prove that creativity and consent can, after all, share the same stage.