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Sora Video Limits Got You Down? Pay Up for More, Says OpenAI

Sora has opened to everyone in the US, and OpenAI is now charging for extra AI video generations.

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Macy Meyer Writer II
Macy is a writer on the AI Team. She covers how AI is changing daily life and how to make the most of it. This includes writing about consumer AI products and their real-world impact, from breakthrough tools reshaping daily life to the intimate ways people interact with AI technology day-to-day. Macy is a North Carolina native who graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill with a BA in English and a second BA in Journalism. You can reach her at mmeyer@cnet.com.
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A person clicks on the Sora app logo that appears on a smartphone screen with an abstract illustration in blue and purple colors in the background.

OpenAI also plans to make cuts to free Sora video allowances.

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Soon after Sora dropped its invite-only requirement, OpenAI is already moving to monetize the popular AI video social media app. The company has introduced paid "video generation packs," allowing you to purchase additional AI-generated videos after reaching the daily free limit.

Read also: Deepfake Videos Are More Realistic Than Ever. How Can You Spot if a Video Is Real or Sora AI?

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Until now, you could generate around 30 videos a day for free or up to 100 for Pro accounts. Now, anyone who hits that cap will see a prompt to purchase extra "gens" through the App Store. 

A small bundle of 10 extra generations costs roughly $4, according to Sora's listing on Apple App Store, but OpenAI's support page states that the exact credits used per video range based on factors like the video length and resolution. 

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OpenAI's Bill Peebles confirmed the change in a post on X, citing increased demand and "unsustainable" economics as reasons behind the change. He also confirms the free quota options are likely temporary. 

"Eventually, we will need to bring the free gens down to accommodate growth (we won't have enough GPUs to do it otherwise!), but we'll be transparent as it happens," he wrote. "[i]n the meantime, enjoy the crazy usage limits."

Read also: OpenAI's Sora Is Getting Another Wave of New Features, Including Video Editing

Watch this: How to Use Sora 2 by OpenAI: A Step-by-Step Guide