Hey everyone and welcome back.
Today we're diving into something pretty amazing.
It's OpenAI's new video generation model, Sora.
Yeah, you can kind of think of it like Dali but for video.
So Dali, but instead of making pictures, it makes videos.
Exactly.
And the crazy part is how it can create these videos
from all sorts of different input.
Oh really? Like what?
Well, you can use text prompts just like with Dali,
but you can also use still images.
Well, hold on.
Like if I give it a picture, it can make a video out of it.
Yeah.
Or even video clips to create totally new videos.
That's pretty wild.
It can generate videos up to 1080p resolution
and up to 20 seconds long with crazy detail and accuracy.
So we're talking about like making pictures come to life here.
Pretty much.
I gotta admit the tech side of things is a little fuzzy for me.
Sure.
How does Sora actually make these videos?
So Sora uses something called a diffusion model.
Imagine you have a video that's just a bunch of random noise
like static on an old TV.
The model starts with that noise
and gradually removes it step by step
until it forms a clear video based on what you gave it.
So it's kind of like sculpting.
But instead of starting with a block of marble,
you're starting with a jumbled mess of pixels.
Yeah.
That's a great way to think about it.
And one of the things that makes Sora so special
is that it can keep things consistent
even when stuff moves out of view.
Oh yeah.
I've definitely seen that problem
with other AI generated videos.
Like things just disappear or totally change
when they go behind something.
Right.
And Sora solves that by using what's called
a transformer architecture.
It's the same tech behind those powerful language models
like GPT-3 and it lets Sora look at lots of frames
of the video at the same time.
So it's almost like it remembers what should be there
even when we can't see it.
Exactly.
Like it understands the whole scene
not just focusing on each moment.
Makes sense.
So to understand our instructions,
it uses this technique called recaptioning
from Deli-3, right?
That's right.
So it's not just seeing pixels.
It's learning to understand
what those pixels actually represent.
Exactly.
It's all about connecting the visual information
with the words we use to describe it,
which helps it follow instructions more accurately.
Wow.
That's incredibly clever.
And to get that good,
it must have been trained on a ton of data, right?
Yeah.
I was just thinking that.
Like mountains of data.
Yeah.
Think of it as a visual feast for the AI.
So where did they get all that data?
Well, they used publicly available data
like what you'd find in standard image and video data sets.
Okay.
But they also partnered with companies
like Shutterstock and Pond5.
Okay.
Which gave them access to even more high quality
images and video.
Yeah.
Partnerships like that are so important with AI.
Access to that much data is like gold.
Totally.
And the third source was actually human feedback.
Oh, really?
They had AI trainers, people looking for weaknesses,
and even open AI employees giving feedback to train Sora.
So it's not just feeding it raw data.
It's about having humans guide the learning process
and make sure it's on the right track.
Exactly.
But I'm guessing they didn't just throw everything at Sora.
Oh, definitely not.
There must have been some filtering involved, right?
Absolutely.
Before training, they filtered the data sets
and took out anything violent sensitive
or anything with hate symbols.
Makes sense.
You don't want the AI picking up any bad habits.
For sure.
Okay.
So training on massive data sets and filtering them,
that's one side of the coin.
What about the safety and practical implications
of actually using Sora?
A technology this powerful has to come
with some serious responsibility.
Oh, you are absolutely right about that.
Like what are they doing to make sure it's used safely?
Well, open AI has been really proactive
about addressing the potential risks.
Okay.
One of the things they did was work closely
with artists, designers, and filmmakers
to really understand how Sora could be used
in the real world.
Ah, so they're not just building this in isolation.
They're actually talking to the people who will be using it
and thinking about the consequences.
Exactly.
Both the good and the bad.
That's good to hear.
And to identify potential problems
before they become real world issues,
that's where red teaming comes in.
Red teaming.
Basically, they had experts try to break Sora.
Oh, wow.
They were looking for any weaknesses
in its safety measures,
which helped open AI fix those problems
before releasing it.
So like a stress test?
Yeah, like pushing it to its limits
in a safe environment to see where it might break down.
And it sounds like they're taking this whole safety thing
very seriously.
Oh, they are, for sure.
And one area where they've been super focused
is child safety.
Okay, yeah, that makes sense.
They have multiple layers of protection
to prevent Sora from generating any harmful
or inappropriate content related to children.
Yeah, that's definitely a top priority
with any new technology,
especially one that makes images and videos.
Absolutely.
So can you tell me more about these safeguards?
How do they actually work?
Sure.
They've got this really sophisticated system
with input and output classifiers
that scan for and block any bad content.
Interesting.
And they also have block lists of words and phrases
that are totally off limits.
Makes sense.
Plus they're working with groups like Thorn and NCMEC
that fight child exploitation.
Okay, so they're pulling out all the stops
to keep children safe.
Definitely.
But what about preventing misuse in general?
Are there ways to stop people
from making bad stuff with Sora?
Yeah, like inappropriate or harmful content.
Exactly.
OpenAI built this thing called a mitigation stack,
which is basically a bunch of checks and balances
for every request.
A mitigation stack, huh?
Okay, so walk me through it.
So first, Sora runs your request
through a text and image moderation system.
Gotcha.
It uses AI models and lists of banned words
to find and block any requests
that are trying to create harmful or unwanted content.
So it's like a security guard at the door
checking IDs and making sure nothing dangerous gets in.
Yeah.
And then if something does slip through,
there's another layer of protection
called output classifiers.
Output classifiers, what are those?
So these are specifically designed to catch things
like NSFW content depictions of minors' violence
or even attempts to misuse someone's likeness.
Oh, wow.
And if any of those red flags pop up,
Sora can block the video before it's ever shared.
So it's not just about what goes in,
it's about carefully checking what comes out too.
Exactly.
It's a pretty thorough system.
It really is.
Yeah.
But are there any other safeguards?
Technology changes so fast
and people can be really creative.
You know?
Oh, totally.
And that's why OpenAI also uses something
called custom LLM filtering.
LLM filtering.
Yeah.
It allows for really precise moderation
on specific topics.
Like what?
Well, for example, it can spot attempts
to use copyrighted material,
create misleading content,
or even videos that infringe on someone's personal rights.
So it's not just matching keywords,
it's understanding the context and the intent.
Exactly.
That's pretty amazing.
But even with all these technical safeguards,
there's always a chance someone will try to misuse Sora.
Of course, you can't stop everyone.
Right.
So in addition to all the tech,
they also have clear product policies and user education.
So they tell people what's okay and what's not allowed.
Yeah.
They lay out exactly what is
and isn't acceptable use of Sora.
Things like creating harmful content,
spreading misinformation,
and misusing someone's likeness
without their permission are all banned.
So it's a combination of technical barriers
and clear communication.
That's the idea.
Makes sense.
And these policies aren't set in stone either.
Oh, really?
They've actually already made changes
based on feedback from early access programs.
So they're listening to users and adapting.
Yeah.
They know this technology is constantly evolving,
so they need to be flexible.
Well, that's good to hear.
Uh-huh.
It's reassuring that they're taking
a learning-based approach.
It is.
But even with all these precautions,
there are still potential risks, right?
People could misuse Sora in ways
we haven't even thought of yet.
You're right.
And OpenAI knows that.
That's why they've been talking about some areas
where they're focusing their future work.
Okay, like what?
Well, one of the most interesting
is their likeness pilot program.
Likeness pilot, what's that?
It'll let a small group of users experiment
with making videos using photos or videos
of real people that they upload.
Hold on.
Animating a picture of your grandparents.
Yeah, exactly.
Or even a video featuring a historical figure.
Okay, that does sound kind of cool.
Right.
The possibilities are pretty mind-blowing.
But I can also see how that could be misused pretty easily.
Oh, for sure.
Like imagine someone making fake videos
of celebrities or politicians.
Yeah, that's a big concern,
and that's why this pilot program
will be really controlled
with lots of monitoring and evaluation.
So they want to figure out how people use it
and make sure they have the right safeguards
before releasing it more broadly.
Exactly.
Makes sense.
Better safety, sorry.
Right.
So what other areas are they focusing on?
Another big one is provenance and transparency.
Provenance and transparency.
Yeah, basically they want to make it easy to track
where Sora content came from, so you know it's not fake.
So like a digital trail for the video?
Exactly.
And to do this, they're going to use things like
C2PA metadata, which is a standard
for verifying the origin of digital content.
Okay.
And visible watermarks, so you know right away
that a video is made with Sora.
So even if someone tries to pass it off as real,
there'll be ways to tell it's AI generated.
That's so cool.
Smart.
Are there any other tools they're working on?
Yeah, they're also building a special
reverse video search tool.
Okay, what's that?
So their team can quickly figure out
if a video is made with Sora.
Interesting, so it's like a special search engine
for Sora videos.
Pretty much.
This will be super helpful for spotting
and dealing with any misuse or misinformation.
Wow, that sounds like a really powerful tool.
It is.
But it's not just about the tech, right?
Their user policies also matter.
Absolutely, their policies clearly say that
Sora can't be used for deceptive purposes.
Okay.
Things like creating disinformation, impersonating others,
or misrepresenting content are all for bin.
So they're setting clear boundaries and consequences
for anyone who tries to use Sora for bad stuff.
Right.
Well things like they've thought of pretty much everything.
They've definitely put a lot of thought into it.
But what about artists?
Had they addressed any concerns about people using Sora
to copy a specific artist's work?
That's a great question and they have.
So whenever you put the name of a living artist
in your prompt, Sora will actually rewrite it
to avoid copying their style.
Whoa, really?
So it's like AI plagiarism protection?
Yeah, basically.
Okay, can you give me an example?
Sure.
Let's say you tell Sora to create a video
in the style of famous artist,
showing a cat writing a unicorn through a rainbow field.
Okay.
Instead of copying the artist's style directly,
Sora's editor will change the prompt
to something more general,
like create a whimsical video of a cat writing a unicorn.
So it takes out the specific artist's reference
and makes it more open to interpretation?
Exactly.
That's a pretty clever solution.
It is.
But even with all these measures,
there's always room for improvement, right?
Of course, open AI has been very open
about the fact that Sora is still being developed.
Yeah, it would be kind of scary if they said
it was perfect already.
Right.
So what are they focusing on for future updates?
Yeah, they're planning to invest even more
in those provenance and transparency tools,
making sure it's easy to track where those videos come from
and that they haven't been messed with.
So they're doubling down on that digital trail idea.
Exactly, and working with other groups
to improve the whole system.
So it's a team effort,
not just open AI going it alone.
Right, it's bigger than just one company.
Good to hear.
They're also working on better representation
than Sora's videos.
Oh, that's super important.
Making sure the AI isn't biased
and the videos reflect the real world.
Yeah, we want AI to help fight bias, not make it worse.
Exactly.
And of course, safety policies, ethical alignment,
that's all ongoing too.
So always evaluating, getting feedback,
making sure it's used for good.
That's the goal.
That makes me feel better, honestly.
It's a lot to think about,
but it seems like they're on the right track.
They are, and it's easy to focus on the downsides,
but let's not forget the amazing possibilities here.
Oh yeah, for sure.
So Sora could totally revolutionize so many industries.
Like imagine making Hollywood level special effects
without a huge budget.
Or personalized educational videos for every student.
Wow, and think about storytelling authors
could bring their books to life.
Journalists could make incredible documentaries.
Every day people could share their stories
in totally new ways.
It feels like a whole new world of creativity
is opening up.
It is, but we can't forget about the responsibility
that comes with it.
Yeah, it's a bit of a tightrope walk, isn't it?
We have this amazing tool, but we have to be careful with it.
Yeah, like how do we protect artists and musicians,
make sure AI isn't stealing their work?
That's a big one for sure.
We want innovation, but we also need to protect creators.
Absolutely.
And what about bias?
We were talking about that earlier.
How do we make sure Sora isn't learning bad habits
from the data it's trained on?
Yeah, that's crucial.
We need to make sure the AI itself is fair
and doesn't make inequality worse.
Right, it's not just about stopping bad people from using it.
It's about making sure the AI itself is ethical.
Exactly.
And as these videos get more and more realistic,
we'll need to think about authenticity and trust.
Yeah, how will we know what's real and what's fake?
Right, and what does that mean for society
if we can't trust what we see?
Those are some pretty deep questions.
They are, it's uncharted territory
and it's gonna take a lot of careful thought to figure out.
It's not just up to the tech companies either, right?
We all have a role to play.
Totally.
Policymakers, ethicists, educators,
the public, we all need to work together.
This future of AI video generation,
it's both exciting and a little scary.
Yeah, yeah.
It's a powerful tool
and we need to make sure we use it wisely.
Couldn't agree more.
We need open conversations, careful planning
and a real commitment to ethical development.
Well said.
I'm glad to see companies like OpenAI taking this seriously.
It gives me hope for the future.
Me too.
It's great to see them prioritizing these issues.
Yeah, it makes me think we can actually create a future
where AI makes the world a better place.
Absolutely.
A future where it helps people be more creative
and understand each other better.
That's a great point.
And to our listeners out there, stay curious,
stay informed and be part of these conversations.
The future of AI is something we'll shape together.
Well, that's all the time we have
for today's Deep Dive into Sora.
Thanks for joining us.
Thanks for having me.
We'll be back next week with another look
at the cutting edge of AI.
Until then, keep exploring.