Even though ChatGPT has only been around for about a year, it already has 100 million active users each week. OpenAI, the company that developed the software, also has DALL-E, serving as a text-to-image model. This week, Sora was announced as an AI model that can create videos based on text input.
To demonstrate the realism of these videos, OpenAI released a 20-second clip featuring a classic Land Rover Defender lookalike tackling a dirt road. Equally impressive and somewhat unsettling, it honestly makes us question what's real and what isn't. Just like ChatGPT, Sora will continue to improve with subsequent updates, further blurring the line between reality and AI-generated content.
As to how this video came to be, here's the text prompt that led to it:
"The camera follows behind a white vintage SUV with a black roof rack as it speeds up a steep dirt road surrounded by pine trees on a steep mountain slope, dust kicks up from it's tires, the sunlight shines on the SUV as it speeds along the dirt road, casting a warm glow over the scene. The dirt road curves gently into the distance, with no other cars or vehicles in sight. The trees on either side of the road are redwoods, with patches of greenery scattered throughout. The car is seen from the rear following the curve with ease, making it seem as if it is on a rugged drive through the rugged terrain. The dirt road itself is surrounded by steep hills and mountains, with a clear blue sky above with wispy clouds."
AI-generated videos have come a long way in a relatively short amount of time. While this one isn't perfect, residing somewhere between a Forza-like video game and reality, there's potential for significant improvement over time. OpenAI acknowledges there's room for improvement, noting that Sora "may struggle with accurately simulating the physics of a complex scene and may not understand specific instances of cause and effect."
Nevertheless, this video of a white boxy SUV dubbed "Danover" tackling a narrow and dusty road looks frighteningly realistic. Unless you’re deliberately searching for things that look off, one could mistake it for an actual video shot with a GoPro.
