Sora arrives in Europe: Was the wait worth it?

The wait is over. Sora, the innovative video generator from OpenAI, has finally made its debut in the European Union, as well as in the United Kingdom and neighboring EEA countries. This arrival comes more than two months after its initial launch caused a stir in the U.S. But does this time difference really matter?

Due to European regulations, Sora’s arrival had been delayed, a situation that is not new in the field of artificial intelligence. For example, Meta AI is still not available in Europe, more than a year after its launch, while Google took four months to present its ChatGPT competitor, Bard (now known as Gemini) in 2023.

Sora: the same old story

The version of Sora in Europe does not present significant changes from what OpenAI had already promised users in other parts of the world. With simple prompts, paying users can generate videos. Those on the more expensive ChatGPT plans have access to higher resolutions, longer videos, and a greater number of creations. Although all types of prompts are allowed, the system refuses to generate sensitive content, a safety measure that reflects the approach of the language models that power ChatGPT.

High risk, low latency

Under the AI Act, all artificial intelligence systems available in Europe are classified into risk categories. Higher-risk systems face stricter regulations, designed to protect EU residents from potentially dangerous technologies. Sora, for its part, carries risks such as generating fake news or deepfakes. However, it is unclear whether the AI Act is causing these complications. For example, the delay in the launch of Apple Intelligence in Europe was attributed to the Digital Markets Act, according to Apple in June 2024.

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, has openly criticized “preventive regulation” for its “theoretical dangers.” In a conversation with Spotify CEO Daniel Ek, they extensively discussed this topic last August. Sora’s arrival in the U.S. also provoked similar reactions about “overregulation.” But what has Europe really lost with this additional regulation? Two months without Sora seem like a minor inconvenience.

However, what is under debate is the impact on European AI companies. They must comply with restrictive legislation before launching their products, which represents a clear disadvantage for European developers looking to create alternatives to Sora and launch them quickly.