Disney and OpenAI seal a historic alliance to bring their characters to artificial intelligence

The union between Disney and OpenAI This represents one of the most striking moves so far in the race for artificial intelligence applied to entertainment and content. The entertainment group has decided to move from legal confrontation to a strategic agreement. will invest 1.000 million dollars in the company that created ChatGPT and will become its first major global licensing partner for generative video.

This agreement opens the door for users to create videos and images with official characters Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars will use OpenAI tools, but under a highly controlled copyright and security framework. At the same time, the Mickey Mouse company will leverage AI technology in its products and internal operations, with a particular focus on Disney+ and the international audienceincluding the European one.

A multi-million dollar deal and a pioneering one in the entertainment industry

Disney has confirmed that it will take a $1.000 billion stake in the capital of OpenAI, a This investment is accompanied by warrants or options that will allow you to acquire an additional amount of shares later. If you're interested. Although OpenAI is not publicly traded, this move strengthens the long-term relationship between the two companies and It positions Disney as one of its most important strategic partners.

In parallel, the two companies have signed an agreement three-year license agreement This is presented as the first major deal of its kind for Sora, OpenAI's video generation model. This contract makes Disney the first major Hollywood studio which formally authorizes the mass use of its intellectual property on a generative AI platform.

According to the parties, Sora will be able to generate short social-style videos based on text instructions provided by users, using a A cast of over 200 characters and recognizable elements from the Disney universeThis represents a profound change in the traditional relationship between studios and AI, which has been dominated until now by lawsuits and legal notices.

Following the announcement of the agreement, Disney's shares registered significant stock market gainsThis reflects investor interest in the group's commitment to AI as a driver of future growth at a time when streaming platforms and major media outlets are seeking new revenue streams.

What will users be able to do with Disney characters in Sora and ChatGPT?

The heart of the agreement lies in the creative use of the conglomerate's intellectual property. OpenAI and Disney have agreed that, starting from principles of 2026Sora users will be able to Generate short videos ready to share on social media using iconic characters, worlds, and objects from the various franchises.

That list includes Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Lilo and Stitch, Ariel, Belle, Beast, Cinderella, Simba, Mufasa and stars of films like Frozen, Encanto, Inside Out, Moana, Monsters Inc., Toy Story, Up or ZootopiaAnimated or illustrated versions of heroes and villains are also included. Marvel —like Black Panther, Captain America, Deadpool, Groot, Iron Man, Loki, Thor, or Thanos— and of Lucasfilm, with such recognizable characters as Darth Vader, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Leia or Yoda.

In addition to the characters, the agreement covers costumes, accessories, vehicles and sets iconic elements from these sagas, so that the user can recreate new scenes or reinterpret familiar universes with just a few text commands. The idea is that anyone, without advanced technical knowledge, can generate professional-quality visual content in a matter of seconds.

On the other hand, the functionality ChatGPT Images will allow the transformation of written descriptions —or dictated— in full illustrations based on the same licensed charactersIn this case, we are dealing with static images, but with a level of detail and fidelity that seeks to respect the identity of the franchises.

One particularly striking part of the pact is that a curated selection of videos generated in Sora Featuring Disney characters, it will be available on Disney+That is, some Fan-created content could eventually be integrated into the platform's catalog, in a supervised format that blends traditional streaming with active audience participation.

Limits, security and protection of creators and talents

The alliance is not a blank check. Both Disney and OpenAI insist that the use of AI will be subject to... strict controls and safeguards to prevent abuses, protect the rights of human creators and comply with regulations, especially relevant in markets such as the European Union.

The agreement makes it clear that The generation of images or voices of real people will not be permitted.The faces, voices and features of actors, actresses and other talents who have brought the characters to life are excluded from the agreement, so that videos or images that reproduce or directly imitate their identity cannot be produced.

OpenAI is committed to deploying content filters, age-based usage policies, and security mechanisms to block the creation of illegal, harmful, or clearly inappropriate videos or images. This includes, for example, restrictions on violent, sexual, or otherwise unlawful content, which is especially sensitive given that a large part of Disney's audience are children and families.

Disney, for its part, will maintain the curation of any content that arrives on their own platforms, such as Disney+. Only videos that meet its editorial and brand standards would be integrated, reducing the risk of associating the company with creations that conflict with its public image.

The official discourse of both companies underscores a commitment to a responsible and ethical use of generative AIThis also seeks to send a message to regulators and the cultural industry, in a context of growing demands and tensions over copyright.

A strategic shift: from lawsuits to the monetization of intellectual property

Disney's move with OpenAI contrasts sharply with its recent stance toward other tech companies and AI startups. Until very recently, the company had opted for a distinctly defensive strategy, resorting to the courts and cease and desist letters to stop the unauthorized use of their characters and films.

In recent months, Disney has sent formal notices to companies such as Meta, Character.AI and, most notably, to Googlewhich it accuses of using its copyrighted works to train models such as the Veo video generators and the Imagen and Nano Banana image generators. Furthermore, along with other major studios like Universal and Warner Bros., it has joined lawsuits against image generation projects such as midjourney and other AI platforms.

In the letter sent to Google, the entertainment group maintains that the technology company would be infringing copyright on a large scalecopying a wide catalog of copyrighted works to train their models and allowing them to generate images and videos with characters from franchises such as Frozen, The Lion King, Moana, The Little Mermaid, Deadpool, Guardians of the Galaxy, Toy Story, Brave, Ratatouille, Monsters Inc., Lilo & Stitch, Inside Out, Star Wars, The Simpsons, The Avengers, or Spider-Man, among others.

Disney claims that, despite having held talks with Google for months, has not seen sufficient progress Therefore, it has opted for a formal cease and desist order and, if necessary, legal action. The message is clear: the company is not willing to tolerate what it considers unauthorized commercial exploitation of its characters and universes.

The agreement with OpenAI, on the other hand, illustrates a different strategy: instead of trying to completely block the use of its intellectual property in AI, Disney is betting on license it in a controlled and monetized wayby selecting who it partners with and establishing clear terms of use. This change in approach could set a trend in other studies that have thus far maintained a purely reactive stance.

Disney as a major corporate client of OpenAI and the role of Disney+

Beyond its recreational use by fans, the collaboration has an important corporate aspect. Disney will become a OpenAI's featured customer, integrating its models and APIs in different areas of the group, from content production to viewer service or the work of its staff.

The company plans to deploy ChatGPT among its employeesThis will allow for the automation of tasks, support for creative processes, facilitate internal documentation, and accelerate workflows in departments such as marketing, product development, and customer service. In this way, generative AI will not only be seen externally, but also in how the company's day-to-day operations are organized.

Disney will also resort to OpenAI APIs to develop new digital features and experiences within its ecosystem, with particular emphasis on the platform of streaming Disney+. Among the possibilities being considered are interactive tools, more sophisticated recommendations, personalized experiences, and hybrid content formats that combine professional production with AI-generated contributions.

One of the most discussed ideas is to offer collections of videos generated with Sora and curated by Disney within Disney+, which could lead to specific sections based on fan creativity, as long as the quality and safety criteria set by the studio are respected.

For markets like Spain and the rest of Europe, where regulations on data protection and copyright are particularly strict, these types of projects will have to fit within the EU legal framework, including the emerging one. European AI regulationThe way Disney and OpenAI handle these requirements could become reference for other streaming services active in the EU.

The business model behind the alliance and the industry's reactions

The operation takes place in a context where AI platforms need content with viral potential to attract and retain users, while major entertainment groups seek new ways to monetize their catalogs. For OpenAI, partnering with a global brand like Disney means access to characters and universes capable of boosting the use of tools like Sora or ChatGPT through subscription plans.

For Disney, the deal offers not only a new source of licensing revenuebut also a showcase for experimenting with participatory formats that resonate better with new generations, accustomed to creating, mixing, and sharing content on social media. By officially licensing its characters, the company also reduces the legal risks that generative AI has faced since its inception.

Statements from the top executives of both companies reflect this view. Bob Iger, CEO of Disney, has emphasized that the rapid evolution of AI marks a key moment for the audiovisual sector and that this collaboration will allow them to expand the reach of their stories in a thoughtful and responsible way, while respecting the original creators and their works.

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has argued that the agreement demonstrates how artificial intelligence companies and creative leaders can working together without necessarily facing each other in court, promoting innovations that benefit society and helping works reach new mass audiences.

Not everyone, however, views the operation favorably. Some child advocacy organizations They have criticized the fact that a company so closely linked to children is partnering with an AI platform whose products, such as Sora, They are not originally intended for minorsThey fear that the presence of characters like Mickey Mouse or the protagonists of Frozen could act as a lure for children and teenagers to end up using tools that may not be appropriate for their age.

The agreement between Disney and OpenAI reinforces the idea that convergence between artificial intelligence and entertainment It's no longer a one-off experiment, but a central strategy for the major players in the sector. Disney is trying to protect and monetize its enormous intellectual property legacy, while simultaneously positioning itself as a preferred partner of one of the most influential AI companies of the moment. Everything points to this. this type of license, if they work well in markets like Europe and the United States, They will become a pattern that other studios and platforms will try to follow.accelerating a new stage for the creation and consumption of digital content.

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Alberto navarro

I am a technology enthusiast who has turned his "geek" interests into a profession. I have spent more than 10 years of my life using cutting-edge technology and tinkering with all kinds of programs out of pure curiosity. Now I have specialized in computer technology and video games. This is because for more than 5 years I have been writing for various websites on technology and video games, creating articles that seek to give you the information you need in a language that is understandable to everyone.

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