News
OpenAI’s Sora Video AI Is Now Available Globally
The new video generation model was released yesterday, and is now available for ChatGPT Plus and Pro subscribers.
After months of anticipation, OpenAI’s video generation model, Sora, has officially launched for public use. Announced yesterday (Monday, December 10) the tool is accessible to ChatGPT Plus and Pro subscribers in the US and “most other countries” where OpenAI’s chatbot operates. For those eligible, Sora will be available for use starting later today.
The version being released, Sora Turbo, is a step up from the early preview showcased in February. OpenAI highlights its improved speed, though it still has its quirks. The company warns that the AI can struggle with “unrealistic physics” and managing intricate actions over extended durations.
When users visit the Sora landing page, they’ll find a feed of videos generated by other users. Each video includes the original prompt, giving you insights into how the footage was created. From there, you can choose to remix the content, incorporate it into your own project, or re-cut it entirely.
Currently, Sora’s video capabilities are capped at 1080p resolution and a maximum length of 20 seconds. While these limits may feel restrictive to some, they’re in place as OpenAI continues refining the model.
Every Sora video comes with a visible watermark and embedded C2PA metadata, making it easier to verify authenticity. OpenAI is taking a firm stance on safety, prohibiting the creation of criminal content and deepfakes.
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Even if you don’t have a ChatGPT subscription, you can still browse Sora’s website to view content others have created. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman shared during a livestream that Sora’s release in Europe and the UK might take some time due to region-specific regulatory considerations.
Plans And Pricing
ChatGPT Plus subscribers can create up to 50 videos per month at 480p resolution. Alternatively, they can produce fewer, shorter clips in 720p. The Pro plan, on the other hand, offers significantly greater flexibility, including 10 times the usage limits and the ability to generate higher-quality videos of longer durations. OpenAI has also teased that customized pricing for various user needs will roll out early next year.
News
YouTube Rolls Out Supervised Children’s Accounts Across MENA
An industry-first feed timer lets parents cap Shorts scrolling. Access can also be switched off entirely ahead of exam season.
YouTube has launched supervised kid accounts across the Middle East and North Africa, giving parents a way to hand their children the main YouTube app without handing over all of it. Announced in Dubai on July 2, the accounts are built directly into the platform rather than the standalone YouTube Kids app, and are aimed at families who feel a child has outgrown the curated library but isn’t ready for the open feed.
Parents can choose from three content settings, each broadly aligned with international content ratings. Explore covers educational videos, tutorials, arts and crafts, and dance. Explore More adds gaming and live streams. Most of YouTube opens up almost everything except videos rated 18+ or deemed inappropriate for supervised accounts.
The standout tool is an industry-first Shorts feed timer, which lets parents set daily limits on short-form scrolling. Set it to zero and Shorts disappears altogether – a lever YouTube suggests parents might pull ahead of exam season. Other protections are on by default for all users under 18: “Take a Break” and “Bedtime” reminders, no personalized ad targeting, autoplay switched off, and no ability to upload videos or write comments. The accounts are optional, and parents can end supervision at any time.
The kid accounts join supervised teen accounts already available across the region, which notify parents by email when a teenager uploads a video or starts a live stream.
“YouTube has been a huge part of families’ lives across this region for over 20 years,” said Javid Aslanov, head of YouTube Middle East and North Africa, citing Kantar research showing 95% of viewers in Saudi Arabia and the UAE agree YouTube has top content in education and learning.
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“It’s essential that we protect young people in – not from – the digital world,” added Garth Graham, YouTube’s head of health.
The new settings are rolling out gradually across the MENA, including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, and Iraq. The latest features can be set up through Family Center in the YouTube app or via Google Family Link.
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