YouTube CEO Warns Against Using Videos for OpenAI’s Sora

YouTube CEO, Neal Mohan, has made a firm stance against the use of YouTube videos to train OpenAI’s text-to-video generator, Sora, citing a violation of the platform’s terms of service.

(Image: Bloomberg)

According to Bloomberg, Mohan stressed that downloading transcripts or video bits from YouTube for training AI models, such as Sora, constitutes a clear breach of these terms.

The utilization of various content from across the web, including YouTube videos, by AI tools has sparked significant debate. These generative AI tools leverage diverse data to enhance their capabilities in generating new content formats, such as videos, photos, and narrative text.

Despite inquiries, OpenAI, with backing from Microsoft, has not provided immediate comment regarding the sources of Sora’s training data.

OpenAI’s Chief Technology Officer, Mira Murati, previously expressed uncertainty about whether Sora was trained on user-generated videos from platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.

Reports have surfaced indicating discussions within OpenAI about potentially using transcriptions of public YouTube videos to train its next-generation large language model, GPT-5.

Mohan further explained Google’s approach to using YouTube videos for training its own powerful AI model, Gemini. He highlighted the importance of respecting individual contracts between YouTube and content creators.

While acknowledging that some YouTube content may be used for training purposes, Mohan assured that Google ensures compliance with creators’ agreements and YouTube’s terms of service.