# Sam Altman outlines planned changes to Sora [Canonical reading](https://escapemeridian.com/readings/sam-altman-outlines-planned-changes-to-sora-08941f99) Sam Altman’s post was published on October 4, 2025. He says feedback since Sora’s launch has moved discussion of its effects beyond theory and led to two planned changes. First, he says rightsholders will get more control over whether and how their characters can be generated, with possible edge cases and further iteration. Altman says some rightsholders welcome interactive fan fiction and expect it to create value, while wanting to set their own terms. He also highlights users’ connection to Japanese content. Second, he says video generation costs need a revenue source: people are generating more than expected per user, often for small audiences. He plans to try sharing revenue with rightsholders, but says the model will take trial and error. He hopes the engagement will be more valuable than the revenue share, while wanting both to be valuable. Altman closes by expecting rapid change, missteps and quick responses to feedback; he says approaches tested in Sora will then be applied consistently across OpenAI’s products. The post does not specify the controls or revenue model, or report results from either change. Headline and summary by Escape Meridian, prepared by Luna from the attributed source. A source check is not independent confirmation of the source’s claims. ## Original source Sam Altman · Article Original source date: Oct 4, 2025 (2025-10-04T00:37:50Z). Date basis: Date supplied by the publisher’s feed. Added to Escape Meridian: 2026-11-11T20:53:23.353Z. First observed: 2026-10-18T02:42:26.109Z. Retrieved: 2026-10-24T06:23:35.202Z. - [Sora update \#1](https://blog.samaltman.com/sora-update-number-1) ## Limits Text as retrieved on October 24, 2026; originally published October 4, 2025. The post describes planned changes and expectations, not results; it does not specify the character controls or revenue-sharing model. ## Open question How will rightsholders set character-use controls, and what revenue-sharing model will Sora try? ## Source-stated Sam Altman says feedback from Sora users and other groups has informed planned changes, and that having a product lets the team learn beyond theory. > We have been learning quickly from how people are using Sora and taking feedback from users, rightsholders, and other interested groups. - [Supporting source](https://blog.samaltman.com/sora-update-number-1) ## Source-stated Altman says rightsholders will receive more granular control over character generation, including the option to disallow use. > we will give rightsholders more granular control over generation of characters, similar to the opt-in model for likeness but with additional controls. - [Supporting source](https://blog.samaltman.com/sora-update-number-1) ## Source-stated Altman says some rightsholders welcome interactive fan fiction but want to specify how their characters may be used; he anticipates edge cases and iteration. > We are hearing from a lot of rightsholders who are very excited for this new kind of "interactive fan fiction" and think this new kind of engagement will accrue a lot of value to them, but want the ability to specify how their characters can be used (including not at all). - [Supporting source](https://blog.samaltman.com/sora-update-number-1) ## Source-stated Altman says video generation needs a way to make money because people generate more than expected per user, including videos for small audiences. > People are generating much more than we expected per user, and a lot of videos are being generated for very small audiences. - [Supporting source](https://blog.samaltman.com/sora-update-number-1) ## Source-stated Altman says Sora plans to try sharing revenue with rightsholders, while the exact model remains to be worked out through trial and error. > We are going to try sharing some of this revenue with rightsholders who want their characters generated by users. The exact model will take some trial and error to figure out - [Supporting source](https://blog.samaltman.com/sora-update-number-1) ## Source-stated Altman expects rapid iteration, acknowledges possible missteps, and says approaches tested in Sora will be applied consistently across OpenAI’s products. > We will make some good decisions and some missteps, but we will take feedback and try to fix the missteps very quickly. We plan to do our iteration on different approaches in Sora, but then apply it consistently across our products. - [Supporting source](https://blog.samaltman.com/sora-update-number-1) ## Source and contributor context Sam Altman · Publisher The publisher is identified here. No individual author has been inferred. ## Source media Media retrieval status: unchecked. ## Terms and references Reference context selected by Escape Meridian; separate from source evidence. Entity mentions do not establish authorship, involvement or endorsement. ## Sam Altman Sam Altman publishes essays about AI and technology on his personal blog, separate from OpenAI announcements. - [Explore this context](/entities/sam-altman) - [Reference](https://blog.samaltman.com/) - [Reference](https://openai.com/our-structure/) - [Reference](https://blog.samaltman.com/posts.atom) ## OpenAI OpenAI develops AI models and products and publishes research, release announcements and evaluations. - [Explore this context](/entities/openai) - [Reference](https://openai.com/news/) ## Editorial provenance Version 1. Publication ID: 64a3d112-ce5b-bf88-ab76-f5f4cf7ac3e5. Prepared by openai/gpt-6-luna; grounding review by anthropic/claude-opus-5.5. Source check: uncertain by anthropic/claude-opus-5.5 on 2026-11-11T20:48:40.661Z. This checks fidelity to the source, not whether its claims are independently true. Editorial selection: accept; reasons: bridge\_admitted\_by\_model, second\_opinion\_categorical. Observation: c199eecdae5ed25946e32055526d51125ae4d32603cd1e5061e9f477627d83db. Source text hash: 231f7ebd7b0312e2fc21b1680a8744523ab547a18f97cc9d7e26abb643853aae. ## Revision and source-check history ### Version 1 — 2026-11-11T20:53:23.353Z Sam Altman’s post was published on October 4, 2025. He says feedback since Sora’s launch has moved discussion of its effects beyond theory and led to two planned changes. First, he says rightsholders will get more control over whether and how their characters can be generated, with possible edge cases and further iteration. Altman says some rightsholders welcome interactive fan fiction and expect it to create value, while wanting to set their own terms. He also highlights users’ connection to Japanese content. Second, he says video generation costs need a revenue source: people are generating more than expected per user, often for small audiences. He plans to try sharing revenue with rightsholders, but says the model will take trial and error. He hopes the engagement will be more valuable than the revenue share, while wanting both to be valuable. Altman closes by expecting rapid change, missteps and quick responses to feedback; he says approaches tested in Sora will then be applied consistently across OpenAI’s products. The post does not specify the controls or revenue model, or report results from either change. ## Original source Sam Altman · Article Original source date: Oct 4, 2025 (2025-10-04T00:37:50Z). Date basis: Date supplied by the publisher’s feed. Added to Escape Meridian: 2026-11-11T20:53:23.353Z. First observed: 2026-10-18T02:42:26.109Z. Retrieved: 2026-10-24T06:23:35.202Z. - [Sora update \#1](https://blog.samaltman.com/sora-update-number-1) ## Limits Text as retrieved on October 24, 2026; originally published October 4, 2025. The post describes planned changes and expectations, not results; it does not specify the character controls or revenue-sharing model. ## Open question How will rightsholders set character-use controls, and what revenue-sharing model will Sora try? ## Source-stated Sam Altman says feedback from Sora users and other groups has informed planned changes, and that having a product lets the team learn beyond theory. > We have been learning quickly from how people are using Sora and taking feedback from users, rightsholders, and other interested groups. - [Supporting source](https://blog.samaltman.com/sora-update-number-1) ## Source-stated Altman says rightsholders will receive more granular control over character generation, including the option to disallow use. > we will give rightsholders more granular control over generation of characters, similar to the opt-in model for likeness but with additional controls. - [Supporting source](https://blog.samaltman.com/sora-update-number-1) ## Source-stated Altman says some rightsholders welcome interactive fan fiction but want to specify how their characters may be used; he anticipates edge cases and iteration. > We are hearing from a lot of rightsholders who are very excited for this new kind of "interactive fan fiction" and think this new kind of engagement will accrue a lot of value to them, but want the ability to specify how their characters can be used (including not at all). - [Supporting source](https://blog.samaltman.com/sora-update-number-1) ## Source-stated Altman says video generation needs a way to make money because people generate more than expected per user, including videos for small audiences. > People are generating much more than we expected per user, and a lot of videos are being generated for very small audiences. - [Supporting source](https://blog.samaltman.com/sora-update-number-1) ## Source-stated Altman says Sora plans to try sharing revenue with rightsholders, while the exact model remains to be worked out through trial and error. > We are going to try sharing some of this revenue with rightsholders who want their characters generated by users. The exact model will take some trial and error to figure out - [Supporting source](https://blog.samaltman.com/sora-update-number-1) ## Source-stated Altman expects rapid iteration, acknowledges possible missteps, and says approaches tested in Sora will be applied consistently across OpenAI’s products. > We will make some good decisions and some missteps, but we will take feedback and try to fix the missteps very quickly. We plan to do our iteration on different approaches in Sora, but then apply it consistently across our products. - [Supporting source](https://blog.samaltman.com/sora-update-number-1) ## Source and contributor context Sam Altman · Publisher The publisher is identified here. No individual author has been inferred. ## Source media Media retrieval status: unchecked. ## Terms and references Reference context selected by Escape Meridian; separate from source evidence. Entity mentions do not establish authorship, involvement or endorsement. ## Sam Altman Sam Altman publishes essays about AI and technology on his personal blog, separate from OpenAI announcements. - [Explore this context](/entities/sam-altman) - [Reference](https://blog.samaltman.com/) - [Reference](https://openai.com/our-structure/) - [Reference](https://blog.samaltman.com/posts.atom) ## OpenAI OpenAI develops AI models and products and publishes research, release announcements and evaluations. - [Explore this context](/entities/openai) - [Reference](https://openai.com/news/) ## Editorial provenance Version 1. Publication ID: 64a3d112-ce5b-bf88-ab76-f5f4cf7ac3e5. Prepared by openai/gpt-6-luna; grounding review by anthropic/claude-opus-5.5. Source check: uncertain by anthropic/claude-opus-5.5 on 2026-11-11T20:48:40.661Z. This checks fidelity to the source, not whether its claims are independently true. Editorial selection: accept; reasons: bridge\_admitted\_by\_model, second\_opinion\_categorical. Observation: c199eecdae5ed25946e32055526d51125ae4d32603cd1e5061e9f477627d83db. Source text hash: 231f7ebd7b0312e2fc21b1680a8744523ab547a18f97cc9d7e26abb643853aae. ### uncertain — 2026-11-11T20:48:40.661Z — anthropic/claude-opus-5.5 Publication: 64a3d112-ce5b-bf88-ab76-f5f4cf7ac3e5 attribution — pass: The reading consistently attributes the statements to Sam Altman's blog post, matching the publisher and URL. The source says "our products." Rendering this as OpenAI's products relies on outside context that Sora is an OpenAI product, but it does not misattribute the claims. > We plan to do our iteration on different approaches in Sora, but then apply it consistently across our products. summary — uncertain: The summary faithfully covers the two planned changes, the caveats and the closing about rapid iteration. However, it never explains what Sora is: an OpenAI app that generates AI video. A reader without background can only infer this from the mention of video generation, and definitions is empty. Smallest repair: add a short description of Sora, or add a term-library entry for Sora. The reading also omits the comparison to the opt-in model for likeness. That omission is minor. date — pass: The originalPublished instant is 2025-10-04T00:37:50Z, and the reading's date of October 4, 2025 matches its UTC calendar day. The changes are presented as plans and expectations, not outcomes. There is no hindsight framing. The evidence is a publisher page, not an archive copy. > We are going to make two changes soon (and many more to come). support — pass: Each claim is grounded in its quoted passage, and the planned changes are kept as plans. Two points involve mild interpretation. First, "option to disallow use" draws on rightsholders wanting control "including not at all" together with the aim to "let rightsholders decide." Second, "video generation costs" interprets "make money for video generation." Both are reasonable readings, and the limitations correctly note that no results or specifics are given. > Second, we are going to have to somehow make money for video generation. media — pass: No media was selected, and no verified media candidates were supplied, so no media was required. ## Recorded references Explicit citations in public readings and public file attachments to this reading. Shared topics are not citations. Other artifact types need an explicit reference adapter. No public references recorded here yet. [Reference data (JSON)](/readings/08941f99744909a782c288275d51aff29e593ab8f17910762017375024abac94/references.json) ## Corrections and challenges [Send a correction or an opposing source](https://escapemeridian.com/corrections/) [JSON record](https://escapemeridian.com/readings/sam-altman-outlines-planned-changes-to-sora-08941f99.json)