Disney Drops Vaporware $1B Investment in OpenAI After Sora Got Axed

Todd Spangler, reporting for Variety:

Disney has now ended its partnership with OpenAI, which included plans for the media conglomerate to take a $1 billion stake in the artificial-intelligence company led by CEO Sam Altman.

A Disney rep said in a statement to Variety: “As the nascent AI field advances rapidly, we respect OpenAI’s decision to exit the video generation business and to shift its priorities elsewhere. We appreciate the constructive collaboration between our teams and what we learned from it, and we will continue to engage with AI platforms to find new ways to meet fans where they are while responsibly embracing new technologies that respect IP and the rights of creators.”

Allow me to translate from PR-speak into plain English:

We love children, and children will always be the primary audience for Disney’s theme parks, movies, and other entertainment. But we don’t do business with children.

Most PR statements would be more effective in plain English.

★ Thursday, 26 March 2026