product-shutdown

OpenAI shut down two projects in March 2026: the Sora AI video app (launched September 2025, operational for six months) and indefinitely paused the planned ChatGPT adult mode. The company cited sexual dataset management and illegal content elimination as barriers to the adult feature launch.

OpenAI is shutting down Sora in two phases: the web app and mobile application close April 26, 2026, followed by the API on September 24, 2026. Users must export their videos and images before the cutoff dates, as user data will be permanently deleted afterward. The discontinuation reflects OpenAI's strategic shift toward coding tools and enterprise products.

OpenAI announced the shutdown of its Sora standalone video generation app on X, though the company provided no explanation for the decision. The closure kills a partnership deal with Disney that would have allowed Sora to generate videos using Disney IP. Video generation capabilities may remain available through other OpenAI channels.

OpenAI announced Tuesday it will shut down Sora, the video generation app that launched publicly in December 2024. The shutdown comes as OpenAI refocuses on business and productivity applications and faces intensifying competition from ByteDance's SeeDance 2.0 and Google's Veo.