Artist Groups Protest OpenAI's Exploitation, Leak Sora Video Generation AI Model

Recently, a collective of artists quickly mobilized to express strong dissatisfaction with OpenAI's planned use of the unreleased Sora AI model. They also shared a tool that enables anyone to convert text prompts into videos using this model. This action has garnered widespread attention.

In an open letter titled "Dear Corporate AI Overlords," these artists voiced their grievances against OpenAI. The letter features illustrations of individuals giving the middle finger. The artists revealed that they were granted early access to test the Sora product and had the potential to become creative partners. However, they believe that OpenAI is attempting to exploit them as unpaid AI artists for so-called "art washing," implementing an exploitative business model.

On the AI model hosting platform Hugging Face, the artist group highlighted: "Hundreds of artists have provided unpaid labor through bug testing, feedback, and experimental work for this $150 billion company. However, only a few are selected through competition to have their Sora-generated videos showcased, and the compensation they receive is minimal, barely worth mentioning compared to the significant PR and marketing value OpenAI gains from it."

The letter, co-authored by 16 artists, clearly states that they do not oppose the use of AI as a tool in art. In fact, many of them have already incorporated AI technologies into their works. However, they strongly object to this early access program, viewing it more as a PR strategy rather than an opportunity to freely experiment with and critique the tool. The artists also pointed out that any videos created using this tool must receive approval from OpenAI before being shared.

The artist collective further emphasized in the letter: "We oppose the way this artist program was launched and the state of the tool prior to its potential public release. We want to inform the world about this situation and hope that OpenAI becomes more open and friendly towards art, supporting genuine artistic creation rather than just using it as a PR gimmick."

Currently, the tool posted on Hugging Face is no longer available, with a note added at the top of the letter stating that OpenAI has temporarily suspended the Sora early access program for artists.

Previously, on February 15, OpenAI announced Sora through a webpage, showcasing videos generated by the model. Additionally, in a series of tweets by CEO Sam Altman, videos created by Sora based on crowdsourced prompts were displayed. Altman described it as "a striking moment." However, Sora has not been released for use beyond a small group of early testers, and evidently, some of these testers are highly dissatisfied with how OpenAI intends to utilize their labor.

In the letter, the artist group also urged their peers to use open-source video generation tools and encouraged AI companies to "listen to artists' voices, provide them with genuine avenues for artistic expression, and ensure fair compensation." This event has sparked a broad discussion, bringing issues such as the relationship between AI and art and the protection of artists' rights into the spotlight.