OpenAI’s Sora 2 sparks backlash over unsettling AI-generated, robo-like Altman video

OpenAI has released Sora 2, its latest text-to-video AI generator, accompanied by a promotional video featuring an AI-generated version of CEO Sam Altman that has drawn widespread criticism for its unsettling, robotic appearance. The launch positions OpenAI to compete directly with Meta’s recently unveiled Vibes app in the emerging market for AI-generated video content, though early user reactions suggest significant skepticism about the value of AI-generated “slop.”

What you should know: The promotional campaign centers around an algorithmically synthesized Sam Altman announcing the new Sora app, designed as a TikTok-like experience for AI-generated videos.
• The AI-generated Altman delivers the announcement with “piercing blue eyes” that “stared unblinkingly into the camera” and a “clearly robotic and AI-generated voice.”
• The promotional video includes various AI-generated clips, from “jockeys riding unicorns to a stadium-lit Altman attending what appears to be a sporting event involving humans riding oversized ducks.”

Technical improvements: Sora 2 demonstrates significant advances over its predecessor, particularly in rendering complex physical movements.
• OpenAI showcased the model’s ability to render a gymnast flipping on a balance beam, a task that previously caused the original Sora to fail by “turning the athlete into a grotesque, flailing ball of far too many limbs.”
• The company claims Sora 2’s “advanced world simulation capabilities” will be “critical for training AI models that deeply understand the physical world.”

What users are saying: Social media reactions to the promotional video have been overwhelmingly negative, with users describing it as deeply unsettling.
• “This feels uncomfortably soulless to watch,” one user commented. “It’s somehow like watching a dead person dance, very unsettling. Like the beginning of a nightmare, where you haven’t seen the monster yet, but you already know something is very wrong.”
• Cinematographer James Rogers called it “unsettling, empty, soulless filth,” adding “What the fresh f**king hell is this turd-pile? I hate everything about this.”
• Another user noted that “prompting isn’t creativity” and “never will be.”

Competitive landscape: The launch comes roughly a week after Meta introduced Vibes, a similar AI video platform that has also faced harsh criticism.
• Meta’s Vibes app features AI-generated content like “snowboarders jumping over rubber ducks or a cat-headed news anchor,” which users have called “hot garbage” and an “infinite slop machine.”
• The Daily Show’s Michael Kosta satirized both efforts, saying “Our AI video tools are set to completely revolutionize how dumb fucking losers create shitty little videos.”

Why this matters: Both OpenAI and Meta are investing tens of billions of dollars in AI video technology, but early user reactions suggest significant resistance to AI-generated content consumption platforms.
• The negative reception highlights the ongoing challenge of the “uncanny valley” effect in AI-generated human representations.
• The competition reflects the broader industry push to find profitable applications for expensive AI infrastructure investments, though user adoption remains uncertain.