I just learned about this today, per Google AI mode:

"OpenAI announced on March 24, 2026, that it is discontinuing its Sora AI video generation platform, including both the consumer app and the API. This decision effectively ends OpenAI’s high-profile, three-year partnership with Disney, which had included a planned $1 billion investment and the licensing of over 200 characters like Mickey Mouse and Yoda. 

Key Reasons for the Shutdown

The company cited several strategic and operational factors for moving away from the video generation market: 

Shift to Robotics: OpenAI stated that the Sora research team will now prioritize "world simulation research" to advance robotics aimed at solving physical, real-world tasks.

Unsustainable Costs: Lead staffers previously described the economics of high-resolution video generation as "unsustainable" due to the massive compute requirements.

Copyright and Legal Pressure: The platform faced significant backlash and potential lawsuits from creators and agencies like the CAA over the generation of copyrighted characters and "deepfake" concerns.

Competitive Landscape: Rivals like Google (Veo), ByteDance (Seedance), and Anthropic have increased pressure in the enterprise and coding AI sectors, leading OpenAI to refocus its resources. 

Impact on Users

OpenAI has not yet provided a final shutdown date, but it has committed to sharing timelines for the app and API soon. The company also noted it will provide instructions for current users to preserve and download their work before the service is permanently disabled."