Public Citizen, a non-profit consumer advocacy organization, is demanding OpenAI remove its video-generation tool Sora 2 from the market, citing concerns over misinformation, privacy violations, and threats to democratic integrity.
In a letter to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and members of Congress last week, the watchdog group accused the artificial intelligence (AI) giant of prioritizing speed over safety in its race to beat competitors to market. Public Citizen characterized OpenAI’s approach as showing “reckless disregard” for product safety and individuals’ rights to control their own likeness.
“Our biggest concern is the potential threat to democracy,” J.B. Branch, Public Citizen’s tech policy advocate, wrote. “We’re entering a world in which people can’t really trust what they see. The first image, the first video that gets released, is what people remember.”
The criticism comes amid growing alarm from advocacy groups, academics, and experts about AI-generated video technology lets anyone create realistic footage from simple text prompts. The capability has led to a proliferation of non-consensual images and deepfakes, contributing to what critics call “AI slop” flooding the internet.
OpenAI in particular has faced backlash for AI-generated videos depicting public figures in fabricated scenarios, including Michael Jackson, Martin Luther King Jr., and Mister Rogers. The company implemented restrictions only after complaints from family estates and the actors’ union SAG-AFTRA.
While OpenAI blocks explicit nudity, Branch noted that harmful content still slips through. “Women are seeing themselves being harassed online” in other ways, he said, pointing to reports from 404 Media that documented a surge of Sora-created videos depicting violence against women.
OpenAI issued a response last week to complaints lodged by a prominent Japanese trade association whose members include internationally renowned animation studios such as Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli, along with major video game developers Bandai Namco and Square Enix.
The San Francisco-based company acknowledged demand among anime enthusiasts to engage with beloved characters while emphasizing its commitment to copyright protection.
“We’re engaging directly with studios and rightsholders, listening to feedback, and learning from how people are using Sora 2, including in Japan, where cultural and creative industries are deeply valued,” the company said in a statement addressing the trade group’s concerns.
OpenAI introduced Sora on iPhones in October and expanded to Android devices last week in the U.S., Canada, and several Asian countries. The company has since announced partnerships with the King family and actor Bryan Cranston to prevent misuse of their likenesses.
However, Branch criticized this reactive approach. “That’s all well and good if you’re famous,” he said in the letter. “A lot of these issues are design choices that they can make before releasing.”
OpenAI was not immediately available for comment.
