Open AI’s Sora Video Generator Raises Ethical Concerns

Almost a week into its release, OpenAI’s Sora has been quite the hot topic worldwide. With its unmatched text-to-video generation technology, almost everyone has been making assumptions about its possible use cases as well as the concerns it raises. So the big question is, how ethical and safe is this brand-new technology? So, let’s find out the possible ethical and societal impacts of Sora in the future.

Sora’s Unlimited Creative Potential

Sora provides access to realistic content creation and provides users with an ominous power. This will break all previous barriers in content creation and create a brand-new standard for all creators and artists worldwide.

If we look on the bright side, it does provide healthy competition for artists worldwide by raising the bar high enough. We can expect much more advanced content surrounding all possible genres and including a gamut of aspects.

Creators will do their best to impress audiences worldwide with their visions in the form of AI-generated videos. They can also utilize their video editing skills to the fullest and create unending and captivating video loops.

Take a look at one such creative vision from OpenAI Sora’s team which shows a flowery tiger.

However, the concerning factor comes into play when we realize that it all takes is one internet connection.

Compared to before, creators won’t have to learn various editing studio apps and polish their multimedia skills. And will there be any limit to the type of content generated? Will there be any borderline to the vision level held by artists? Sora will make any vision come true in the form of videos.

Thus, Sora will allow creators to devote all of their attention to honing their directorial craft by using AI to streamline the technical components of production, and at the same time, it may lower the standard of learning for artists and content creators.

Artistic Integrity and Bias

It’s important to consider the fact that Sora AI doesn’t have personal experiences or beliefs the same way a human being does. So, we shouldn’t count out the possibility of this text-to-video generator exhibiting biases based on the type of prompts it receives from different users and the corresponding content it generates.

A group of artists belonging to a similar community, sharing similar artistic ideas, having the same views, and seeing a similar vision may develop differences when their contents are generated and interpreted differently. Thus, Sora has the potential to develop a strong artistic bias worldwide.

But when you look conversely, Sora can impact Artistic integrity as well. When creators witness the same content being generated irrespective of different prompts on a similar topic, they may question their artistic ingenuity. The lack of different forms of content may not be perceived well by the public and can potentially hamper the future of Generative AI.

It is therefore important to ensure that Sora promotes diverse perspectives and avoids perpetuating harmful stereotypes. This can involve incorporating works from various artists, cultures, and periods.

Spread of Misinformation

In the age of photoshops and deep fakes, fake AI-generated content is going viral on the internet every day. Sora AI may propagate this spread of misinformation where users can create deceptive videos very quickly. It is very difficult to tell the difference between real and AI-generated videos without proper algorithmic models. 

However, OpenAI has mentioned in its Blog that they are taking several measures to control the spread of misinformation and fake content across the internet. 

“We’ll be taking several important safety steps ahead of making Sora available in OpenAI’s products. We are working with red teamers — domain experts in areas like misinformation, hateful content, and bias — who will be adversarially testing the model. We’re also building tools to help detect misleading content such as a detection classifier that can tell when a video was generated by Sora. We plan to include C2PA metadata in the future if we deploy the model in an OpenAI product.” 

Regardless of all measures taken, at the end of the day, the use of technology depends on the user and his/her ways. Thus, Sora has been programmed to employ real-world learning from policymakers and educators with the goal being to employ as many positive use cases as possible.

Impact of The Filmmaking Industry 

The filmmaking sector without a doubt will be the most impacted by Sora. With access to instantaneous video creation and editing tools, directors and producers worldwide won’t need to rely on the hassle of camera recordings and having the right location to shoot. 

The entire landscape of the film industry changes with Sora AI in the scene. Costs of film production and technical demands both could be lowered with text-to-video technology. Their dreams can materialize right before their eyes. Technology-enabled entry hurdles could spark an explosive rise in the number of emerging filmmakers from marginalized areas.

Sora will also bring a wider perspective of people into the limelight. We may get to witness untold stories of people’s lives from remote areas. With their vision coming to fruition, Sora can help unite people worldwide by promoting filmmaking for all irrespective of race, gender location, etc.

However, this will significantly impact the quality of the film being produced. Directors may lose their vision at the expense of cutting-edge video-to-video editing and infinite video loops. With a vast number of filmmakers looking to make of the opportunity, the industry could be overburdened and lose its integral value.

Is the Future Secure with Sora AI?

Sora like other AI technologies holds the potential to replace various jobs and livelihoods. With the advent of tools, there should be a public conversation about creating boundaries to reduce harm involving politicians, filmmakers, digital developers, and the general public. 

The decisions taken today about the responsible or irresponsible integration of its powers could have a big impact on careers and the pursuit of the truth. However, it is safe to assume as of now Sora isn’t developed enough to truly represent artistic ideals realistically. It is still dependent on data inputs which is ever-changing. Thus it’s unlikely to replace jobs and human beings, at least for now.

We will find out what happens when Sora becomes accessible to the general public.

Conclusion

Like any powerful technology, Sora has the potential for both good and bad. We need to weigh these carefully before making judgments. Ultimately, whether Sora is “ethical” is not a yes-or-no answer. It depends on how it is developed, used, and regulated. As with any powerful technology, it is important to be aware of the potential risks and benefits and to use it responsibly.