Billion dollar deal: Disney characters can soon be created in ChatGPT

At the same time, Disney itself will become a customer of OpenAI and will use the company’s AI software, among other things, for the Disney+ streaming service and make the chatbot ChatGPT available to its employees.

Since autumn, users have been able to create short video clips in OpenAI’s Sora app in which they and their friends appear. The app initially also allowed characters protected by copyright to be used – and OpenAI boss Sam Altman suggested that rights holders who object to this should object to this. However, after a few days, OpenAI changed course and decided to pursue deals like the one now with Disney.

Some authors and media have been suing OpenAI for a long time because of the accusation that the software with artificial intelligence was trained illegally using their intellectual property.

No actors

Under the deal, the Disney characters played by humans only come into the OpenAI apps in animated versions. The actors’ voices will also not be used, as the companies announced.

The license agreement for the use of the Disney characters is initially designed for three years. They come from, among other things, the Pixar animated films as well as the Marvel universe and “Star Wars”. It’s part of Disney’s plan to push more heavily into digital platforms. The entertainment group also cooperates with the makers of the online game “Fortnite”.