Is Sora Worth the Risk? I’m Not Spending $200 to Solve a Mystery
I was genuinely excited about the potential of tools like Sora. I even had to wait a couple of days to create my account, and when it finally came time for me to sit down and begin experimenting today, I started seeing stories on social media that uploading human images was not possible. A quick look on the board confirmed these suspicions, and I am completely and thoroughly disappointed. I’m now left not even wanting to invest the time in learning how to use it because there are plenty of other platforms where I can do exactly what I want to do.
To make matters worse, I’m now hearing that even users with Pro accounts are running into problems. Because of this lack of transparency, I’m lost and don’t know what to believe. I’m not going to spend $200 to solve a mystery, only to be disappointed and lose my $200.
And now, I can’t even figure out where I’m supposed to discuss this. I go to the developer board—where I find someone else posting about the exact same problem—and there’s no clear place for Sora-related discussions. Then, when I post, a bot immediately jumps in to tell me the board is for APIs. So where am I supposed to go to get answers? If Sora is being made available to the public, OpenAI needs to provide a clear, dedicated space for questions and feedback.
For a product with so much potential and interest, this lack of support and clarity feels discouraging.
OpenAI has a responsibility to mitigate misuse, but these blanket policies are stifling legitimate creative exploration. AI video generation has the power to unlock entirely new forms of storytelling and expression. It could allow creators to simulate alternate realities, reimagine history, or visualize the future—all tools that expand human creativity in ways never before possible. However, if these tools remain overly cautious and restrictive, they risk becoming unusable for the very people who want to push the limits of what’s possible.
I am extremely surprised at the lack of transparency in this regard. It should have been made more obvious that there were restrictions like this when the product was being promoted.
I subscribed to GPT Plus with high hopes for Sora, but I’m so discouraged I don’t even feel like attempting any experiments because it feels like it would be a waste of time. Competing platforms that launched earlier are already delivering more impressive results and offering users far more flexibility. If OpenAI doesn’t strike a better balance between safety and creative freedom, I’ll need to reevaluate whether it’s worth keeping my subscription when renewal time comes.