Overview
- Bob Iger said the three-year pact grants OpenAI one year of exclusivity, after which Disney can license similar rights to other AI firms.
- OpenAI gains legal access to 200-plus characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars for Sora and ChatGPT Images, with character-enabled output targeted to begin in early 2026.
- Disney will become a major OpenAI customer by using its APIs to build products tied to Disney+, deploying ChatGPT internally and curating select Sora-made videos for its platforms.
- On the day of the announcement, Disney sent Google a cease-and-desist alleging copyright infringement; Google said it would engage and later removed Disney content from its systems, according to Forbes.
- Online reaction highlights concerns about harmful or suggestive outputs despite promised guardrails, with outlets reporting early unsettling Sora-made clips featuring Disney characters.