AI Competition Intensifies with ‘Sora 2’ Launch

OpenAI has launched its latest video generation model, 'Sora 2', on Tuesday, introducing features that allow the addition of audio and user likeness to generated videos. This development is among the latest innovations in artificial intelligence this year as major players like OpenAI, xAI, Google, and Anthropic vie for dominance in the AI sector.

Sora 2 enhances its predecessor by enabling users to incorporate synchronized dialogue and sound effects into the generated video clips. Concurrently, OpenAI has launched an app for Sora, adding a social media component that allows users to remix each other's creations and include their own or friends' likenesses in videos via the 'cameos' feature.

Users can insert their likeness into videos by making a video-and-audio recording in the Sora app to verify their identity. The Sora app is immediately available for download in the U.S. and Canada, with ChatGPT Pro users gaining access to an 'experimental, higher quality' Sora 2 model on Sora's website.

Anthropic launched its latest AI model, Claude Sonnet 4.5, in September, featuring improvements for coding and business-related requests. OpenAI's newest language model, GPT-5, was launched in August, offering quicker responses and a reduced likelihood of errors. Google's Gemini 2.5 Pro, released in June, provides better-organized responses for complex user requests.

The AI boom has increased the wealth of long-time tech billionaires and introduced new billionaire tech moguls. Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia and an AI investor, has seen his net worth soar, making him the world's seventh-wealthiest person as of September. Anthropic's sibling co-founders, Dario and Daniela Amodei, became billionaires this year, each with an estimated net worth of $3.7 billion.