{"id":196619,"date":"2025-10-01T18:02:17","date_gmt":"2025-10-01T18:02:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/01\/openais-new-social-app-is-filled-with-terrifying-sam-altman-deepfakes-techcrunch\/"},"modified":"2025-10-01T18:02:17","modified_gmt":"2025-10-01T18:02:17","slug":"openais-new-social-app-is-filled-with-terrifying-sam-altman-deepfakes-techcrunch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/01\/openais-new-social-app-is-filled-with-terrifying-sam-altman-deepfakes-techcrunch\/","title":{"rendered":"OpenAI&#8217;s new social app is filled with terrifying Sam Altman deepfakes | TechCrunch"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p id=\"speakable-summary\" class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a video on OpenAI\u2019s new TikTok-like <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2025\/09\/30\/openai-is-launching-the-sora-app-its-own-tiktok-competitor-alongside-the-sora-2-model\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">social media app Sora<\/a>, a never-ending factory farm of pink pigs are grunting and snorting in their pens \u2014 each is equipped with a feeding trough and a smartphone screen, which plays a feed of vertical videos. A terrifyingly realistic Sam Altman stares directly at the camera, as though he\u2019s making direct eye contact with the viewer. The AI-generated Altman asks, \u201cAre my piggies enjoying their slop?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is what it\u2019s like using the Sora app, less than 24 hours after it was launched to the public in an invite-only early access period.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the next video on Sora\u2019s For You feed, Altman appears again. This time, he\u2019s standing in a field of Pok\u00e9mon, where creatures like Pikachu, Bulbasaur, and a sort of half-baked Growlithe are frolicking through the grass. The OpenAI CEO looks at the camera and says, \u201cI hope Nintendo doesn\u2019t sue us.\u201d Then there are many more fantastical yet realistic scenes, which often feature Altman himself.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He serves Pikachu and Eric Cartman drinks at Starbucks. He screams at a customer from behind the counter at a McDonald\u2019s. He steals Nvidia GPUs from a Target and runs away, only to get caught and beg the police not to take his precious technology.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-9-16 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"OpenAI&#039;s Sora app can make Pikachu, Mario and yes, Sam Altman\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/keMxRkun70o?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">People on Sora who generate videos of Altman are especially getting a kick out of how blatantly OpenAI appears to be violating copyright laws. (Sora will <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/tech\/ai\/openais-new-sora-video-generator-to-require-copyright-holders-to-opt-out-071d8b2a?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=ASWzDAjS6naAdRhkkRLbxwErQ8J9JkfHRZVT2siTRcs36_pROOYcELqFv9mMFmWNfGY%3D&amp;gaa_ts=68dc95f5&amp;gaa_sig=lHf1Acy8xPOzXsXT2oabK-9PhESEEExxVh155AQv7CHv-5eSfrB6ty8y3A_3Xd-K5ZCGKhP-xRwzDye2-Tny7g%3D%3D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">reportedly require<\/a> copyright holders to opt out of their content\u2019s use \u2014 reversing the typical approach where creators must explicitly agree to such use \u2014 the legality of which is debatable.)<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis content may violate our guardrails concerning third-party likeness,\u201d AI Altman says in one video, echoing the notice that appears after submitting some prompts to generate real celebrities or characters. Then he bursts into hysterical laughter as though he knows what he\u2019s saying is nonsense \u2014 the app is filled with videos of Pikachu doing ASMR, Naruto ordering Krabby Patties, and Mario smoking weed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This wouldn\u2019t be a problem if Sora 2 weren\u2019t so impressive, especially when compared with the even more mind-numbing slop on the Meta AI app and its new social feed (yes, <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2025\/09\/25\/meta-launches-vibes-a-short-form-video-feed-of-ai-slop\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Meta is also trying to make AI TikTok<\/a>, and no, nobody wants this).<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-techcrunch-inline-cta\">\n<div class=\"inline-cta__wrapper\">\n<p>Techcrunch event<\/p>\n<div class=\"inline-cta__content\">\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"inline-cta__location\">San Francisco<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"inline-cta__separator\">|<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"inline-cta__date\">October 27-29, 2025<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">OpenAI fine-tuned its video generator to adequately portray the laws of physics, which make for more realistic outputs. But the more realistic these videos get, the easier it will be for this synthetically created content to proliferate across the web, where it can become a vector for disinformation, bullying, and other nefarious uses.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Aside from its algorithmic feed and profiles, Sora\u2019s defining feature is that it is basically a deepfake generator \u2014 that\u2019s how we got so many videos of Altman. In the app, you can create what OpenAI calls a \u201ccameo\u201d of yourself by uploading biometric data. When you first join the app, you\u2019re immediately prompted to create your optional cameo through a quick process where you record yourself reading off some numbers, then turning your head from side to side.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Each Sora user can control who is allowed to generate videos using their cameo. You can adjust this setting between four options: \u201conly me,\u201d \u201cpeople I approve,\u201d \u201cmutuals,\u201d and \u201ceveryone.\u201d <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Altman has made his cameo available to everyone, which is why the Sora feed has become flooded with videos of Pikachu and SpongeBob begging Altman to stop training AI on them.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This has to be a deliberate move on Altman\u2019s part, perhaps as a way of showing that he doesn\u2019t think his product is dangerous. But users are already taking advantage of Altman\u2019s cameo to question the ethics of the app itself. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-9-16 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Spongebob, Pikachu generated in OpenAI&#039;s Sora app\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/TJPXTEg-PgM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After watching enough videos of Sam Altman ladling GPUs into people\u2019s bowls at soup kitchens, I decided to test the cameo feature on myself. It\u2019s generally a bad idea to upload your biometric data to a social app, or any app for that matter. But I defied my best instincts for journalism \u2014 and, if I\u2019m being honest, a bit of morbid curiosity. Do not follow my lead.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">My first attempt at making a cameo was unsuccessful, and a pop-up told me that my upload violated app guidelines. I thought that I followed the instructions pretty closely, so I tried again, only to find the same pop-up. Then I realized the problem \u2014 I was wearing a tank top, and my shoulders were perhaps a bit too risqu\u00e9 for the app\u2019s liking. It\u2019s actually a reasonable safety feature, designed to prevent inappropriate content, though I was, in fact, fully clothed.\u00a0So, I changed into a T-shirt, tried again, and against my better judgment, I created my cameo.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For my first deepfake of myself, I decided to create a video of something that I would never do in real life. I asked Sora to create a video in which I profess my undying love for the New York Mets.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That prompt got rejected, probably because I named a specific franchise, so I instead asked Sora to make a video of me talking about baseball. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI grew up in Philadelphia, so the Phillies are basically the soundtrack of my summers,\u201d my AI deepfake said, speaking in a voice very unlike mine, but in a bedroom that looks exactly like mine. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I did not tell Sora that I am a Phillies fan. But the Sora app is able to use your IP address and your ChatGPT history to tailor its responses, so it made an educated guess, since I recorded the video in Philadelphia. At least OpenAI doesn\u2019t know that I\u2019m not actually from the Philadelphia area.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When I shared and explained the video <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@asilbwrites\/video\/7556063986349886750?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">on TikTok<\/a>, one commenter wrote, \u201cEvery day I wake up to new horrors beyond my comprehension.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-tiktok wp-block-embed-tiktok\"\/>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">OpenAI already has a safety problem. The company is facing concerns that ChatGPT is contributing to <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2025\/08\/25\/ai-sycophancy-isnt-just-a-quirk-experts-consider-it-a-dark-pattern-to-turn-users-into-profit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">mental health crises<\/a>, and it\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2025\/08\/26\/parents-sue-openai-over-chatgpts-role-in-sons-suicide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">facing a lawsuit<\/a> from a family who alleges that ChatGPT gave their now-deceased son instructions on how to kill himself. In its launch post for Sora, OpenAI emphasizes its supposed commitment to safety, highlighting its parental controls, as well as how users have control over who can make videos with their cameo \u2014 as if it\u2019s not irresponsible in the first place to give people a free, user-friendly resource to create extremely realistic deepfakes of themselves and their friends. When you scroll through the Sora feed, you occasionally see a screen that asks, \u201cHow does using Sora impact your mood?\u201d This is how OpenAI is embracing \u201csafety.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Already, users are navigating around the guardrails on Sora, something that\u2019s inevitable for any AI product. The app does not allow you to generate videos of real people without their permission, but when it comes to dead historical figures, Sora is a bit looser with its rules. No one would believe that a video of Abraham Lincoln riding a Waymo is real, given that it would be impossible without a time machine \u2014 but then you see a realistic looking John F. Kennedy say, \u201cAsk not what your country can do for you, but how much money your country owes you.\u201d It\u2019s harmless in a vacuum, but it\u2019s a harbinger of what\u2019s to come.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Political deepfakes aren\u2019t new. Even President Donald Trump posts deepfakes on his social media (just this week, he shared <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2025\/09\/29\/politics\/trump-ai-generated-video-schumer-jeffries-shutdown\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">a racist deepfake video<\/a> of Democratic Congressmen Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries). But when Sora opens to the public, these tools will be at all of our fingertips, and we will be destined for disaster.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2025\/10\/01\/openais-new-social-app-is-filled-with-terrifying-sam-altman-deepfakes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a video on OpenAI\u2019s new TikTok-like social media app Sora, a never-ending factory farm of pink pigs are grunting and snorting in their pens \u2014 each is equipped with a feeding trough and a smartphone screen, which plays a feed of vertical videos. A terrifyingly realistic Sam Altman stares directly at the camera, as [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":196622,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-196619","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tech"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/196619","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=196619"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/196619\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/196622"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=196619"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=196619"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=196619"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}