Only AI-created videos, nothing real: Meta and OpenAI’s new social platforms

A few days ago, OpenAI announced its latest generative video model, Sora 2. The new model can create extremely realistic short videos, complete with generated audio, thanks to an enhanced ability to render footage that follows the laws of physics. The results are uncannily good. In a well-thought stunt, OpenAI used Sora 2 to fully generate the model’s promo video, featuring AI-simulated versions of CEO Sam Altman, thanks to a feature called Cameos that lets users insert their own image into AI-generated clips. Alongside Sora 2, OpenAI released a new Sora app that allows anyone to use the cameo feature with their own picture or that of a consenting friend. In a worrying shift of strategy, the app isn’t designed as a mobile editing studio for AI videos, but rather as yet another reel-based social network in the style of TikTok. Users can make their own artificial videos, and then publish them to populate an infinte scroll feed of AI-slop.

That’s a move even more uncanny than the videos themselves. 
The launch of the Sora app follows Meta’s own recent announcement of a new “Vibes” section inside the Meta AI app. Vibes is essentially the same as Reels or YouTube Shorts, with one key difference: nothing in the feed is made by humans, it’s just another endless stream of animated AI videos, just like the Sora app, sorted algorithmically for our own viewing (dis)pleasure. Both the Sora app and Meta Vibes are clear signs of a troubling trend. Strapped for cash while continuing to gaslight investors about AGI, the hypothetical human-level intelligence, AI companies are desperate for new ways to monetize their beautifully useless machines. A video-based social network seems like the easiest option, thanks to how easy it will be to plug all sorts of inline ads in the users’ feeds. So while Sam Altman and Mark Zuckerberg keep spinning tales about the imminent arrival of a God-like superintelligence, what they’re actually building is just another delivery system for digital stupidity.

As if the endless flow of low-quality content on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube Shorts wasn’t enough, OpenAI and Meta now think we’re craving even more artificially generated mindless entertainment. Beyond the obvious attempt to monetize their technology, what’s the real endgame here? Do these companies really believe no one will notice how short they’re falling compared to their grand promises? Make no mistake: Meta AI Vibes and the Sora app will unfortunately gain some traction and maybe even find success among the constantly amused masses. Yet it could be a sign that the AI hype cycle is slowing down.