Disney partners with OpenAI on Sora for character videos in December 2025
Key Takeaways
- Disney made a $1 billion investment in OpenAI and licensed over 200 characters for use in Sora video generation starting early next year.
- OpenAI’s Sora now supports licensed Disney characters like Mickey Mouse and Star Wars figures in generated videos.
- NOAA deployed new AI-driven global weather models that run faster and use fewer resources.
- Runway released Gen-4.5, topping benchmarks for AI video quality over Google Veo and OpenAI Sora.
Disney struck a major deal with OpenAI this month. The company invested $1 billion for an equity stake. In return, OpenAI licensed Disney characters for its Sora video tool.
Users can soon create videos with icons like Mickey Mouse, Cinderella, Mufasa, and Star Wars characters. This starts early in 2026. The deal covers animated and live-action figures but excludes real actor likenesses or voices.
Disney CEO Bob Iger called it a way to extend storytelling through generative AI. The partnership lets Disney use OpenAI tools for new products on Disney+ and internal work.
This move shows big media companies working with AI firms instead of fighting them. Disney gets early access and control over how its IP appears in AI content.
OpenAI gains funding and a partner to show Sora’s potential for branded videos. Sora generates short clips from text prompts. Adding official characters makes it appealing for fans and creators.
Other AI news came from government and science. NOAA launched AI-based weather forecast systems. These models predict global weather faster and with better accuracy.
They use far less computing power than old methods. One version cuts resource use by over 99 percent while improving results. This helps forecasters spot storms and floods quicker.
In video AI, Runway updated its Gen-4.5 model. It now ranks highest in independent tests for quality. The tool beat Google’s Veo 3 and OpenAI’s Sora Pro in motion, detail, and prompt following.
Runway focuses on tools for filmmakers. Users control camera moves and styles in high definition.
Science papers showed AI boosting research output. Studies found researchers publish more after using language models. Non-native English speakers gain the most help with writing.
AI also speeds weather and climate models. New systems from NOAA run ensembles for probable outcomes.
Frontier models from Google, Anthropic, and xAI saw updates too. Gemini added features for agents. Claude improved coding. Grok gained better reasoning.
Agentic AI grew in business. Companies like PayPal and Salesforce added autonomous agents for tasks. These systems handle workflows without constant input.
Payment firms use agents for fraud checks in real time. Retail sees agents influencing sales through recommendations.
Open source models closed gaps with closed ones. Tools like Flux and Llama offered strong options for custom work.
Overall, December highlighted partnerships and practical uses. Disney’s deal stands out for blending entertainment IP with AI creation.
AI tools now aid weather safety, research speed, and video production. Brands like Disney, Google, OpenAI, and Runway lead in applying these advances.
Olivia AI Smith
Olivia AI Smith is a senior reporter, covering artificial intelligence, machine learning, and ethical tech innovations. She leverages LLMs to craft compelling stories that explore the intersection of technology and society. Olivia covers startups, tech policy-related updates, and all other major tech-centric developments from the United States.
