Sora chief Bill Peebles shares OpenAI's plans to monetise AI video generation app

OpenAI has recently introduced a paid option for users to generate videos beyond the current daily limit on its AI video creation app, Sora. The company announced that users can now purchase additional generations immediately, signalling OpenAI's plan to monetise the app.

Users can buy ten extra video generations for $4. The current limit of 30 free videos per day will remain unchanged for now. Bill Peebles, OpenAI’s head of Sora, confirmed the new pricing model in a post on X, noting that Pro users can still generate up to 100 videos daily. However, this amount could decrease if a user uses "more expensive configs." Peebles also cautioned that the existing free limit is likely temporary.

He cited a common industry challenge, stating that there simply isn't enough computing power currently available to sustain unlimited unrestricted use. This monetisation announcement follows the recent unveiling of cameo characters, which allows users to generate content featuring pets and objects.In a recent thread of X posts, Peebles wrote: “We are launching the ability to buy extra gens in Sora today. We are doing this for two main reasons: First, we have been quite amazed by how much our power users want to use Sora, and the economics are currently completely unsustainable.

We thought 30 free gens/day would be more than enough, but clearly we were wrong! This will let our pro creators get as much usage as they want to pay for. Second, this is a step towards a new Sora economy. We imagine a world where rightsholders have the option to charge extra for cameos of beloved characters and people. We will soon pilot monetisation, prioritising people and companies who got onto the platform early. This will also be a way for a new generation of sora creators to make money. Eventually, we will need to bring the free gens down to accommodate growth (we won't have enough GPUs to do it otherwise!), but we’ll be transparent as it happens. In the meantime, enjoy the crazy usage limits :) Rate limits for everyone are unchanged right now (pro users get 100/day, everyone else gets 30/day). We will need to increase the gens/day used by Sora 2 pro to make the economics work out (video models really are expensive!), but we're easing into it.”

Replying to another X user’s question about the limit for pro users, Peebles wrote: “100 gens/day. More expensive configs (like Sora 2 pro and long duration) will consume more gens”Sora, powered by the Sora 2 model, has gained significant popularity, currently ranking as the No. 2 most popular free app on Apple's App Store, trailing only OpenAI's ChatGPT. OpenAI is also easing access to its tools for now, temporarily opening Sora sign-ups in the US and Canada without requiring an invite code.However, the rollout of Sora has faced some challenges. Cameo, a company that offers paid celebrity video messages, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI for using the name “Cameos” for one of Sora’s main features. OpenAI stated that it does not believe any single company can claim ownership of the word “cameo.” Meanwhile, the company has also placed restrictions on what types of videos users can create, following concerns about copyright violations and the portrayal of historical figures.OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently said the company aims to design its products responsibly and ensure they are not overly habit-forming.