OpenAI’s latest creation, Sora, is making waves in the AI world. The company’s new social video app has surpassed 1 million downloads in under five days, according to Sora head Bill Peebles. He noted that Sora’s growth outpaced ChatGPT’s initial launch, despite being invite-only.
sora hit 1M app downloads in <5 days, even faster than chatgpt did (despite the invite flow and only targeting north america!)!
team working hard to keep up with surging growth. more features and fixes to overmoderation on the way!
— Bill Peebles (@billpeeb) October 9, 2025[1]
Released for iOS on September 30, the Sora app allows users to scroll through and create AI-generated videos powered by OpenAI’s Sora 2 model. The app also includes a “Cameos” feature that lets users insert their own likeness, or that of a friend, into AI videos. Early users describe the feed as a mix of surreal memes, playful experiments, and, at times, chaotic AI-generated content.
However, Sora’s rapid rise hasn’t come without controversy. Some users began creating videos featuring copyrighted characters in questionable contexts, prompting OpenAI to tighten controls. The company now gives copyright holders more authority over how their content appears in the app.
Users can also define how their own likeness is used, reflecting OpenAI’s growing attention to ethical concerns around generative media.
Peebles acknowledged the overwhelming response, saying the team is “working hard to keep up with surging growth.” He added that more features and moderation improvements are in development to refine the user experience.
For now, Sora is only available in the United States and Canada, where it quickly climbed to the top of Apple’s App Store rankings.
References
- ^ October 9, 2025 (twitter.com)