OpenAI switches off the Sora video API

OpenAI has switched off the programming interface for Sora, its AI video generator, completing the shutdown of a product that caused a stir when it was first shown in 2024.

The Sora API, which allowed developers to build Sora's video generation into their own apps and services, was discontinued on 24 September.

A two-stage shutdown

The closure came in two stages. The Sora website and app were shut down on 26 April 2026, and the API followed five months later. OpenAI announced the removal on 24 March, giving developers and users six months' notice to plan and to export any content they wanted to keep.

No named replacement

OpenAI's deprecations page did not name a successor model to replace Sora, leaving developers who relied on it to find other video generation tools.

A short life

Sora was first unveiled in February 2024, when its ability to turn short text descriptions into realistic video clips drew widespread attention and debate about the future of film-making, advertising and online content. It was later released to the public and followed by an updated version.

The technology also raised concerns about deepfakes, copyright and the use of people's likenesses, issues that have followed AI video tools across the industry.

A changing focus

The end of Sora comes as OpenAI concentrates on its GPT-6 family of models and on AI agents, systems that can carry out tasks on their own. Running video generation is also extremely expensive in computing power, and several companies have been reassessing which AI products are worth the cost.

A crowded field

AI video generation remains a busy area, with Google, Meta, Runway and a number of Chinese companies all offering tools that turn text or images into video. Developers who used Sora now have to choose between those alternatives.

What it means for developers

Developers who built products on the Sora API will need to move to other video generation services. Several rival companies offer AI video tools, and competition in the field has grown quickly.