OpenAI plans to integrate its Sora video generation model directly into ChatGPT, according to a report from The Information. This move aims to revitalize Sora’s usage and significantly increase ChatGPT’s active user base, potentially pushing it past the one billion mark.
Sora, initially launched as a standalone app with Sora 2 in September 2025, enjoyed initial success. However, user interest waned due to limitations on video creation and content. The integration into ChatGPT could offer Sora a much-needed second life.
Despite its declining popularity, with the app no longer in the App Store’s top 100 free apps and limited public sharing of videos, the standalone Sora app will remain available. OpenAI hopes this dual approach will maximize user access and engagement.
Generating videos with Sora is an expensive process for OpenAI. API customers currently pay $0.10 per second for a 720p video. In 2025, the company offered users 30 free video generations daily within the Sora app.
Expanding Sora to ChatGPT’s larger audience will undoubtedly escalate these costs. OpenAI projects a staggering expenditure of over $225 billion on inference—the cost of running its models—between 2026 and 2030, a figure that highlights the financial commitment involved.
To offset these substantial costs, OpenAI has already experimented with monetizing the Sora app by selling credits for video generation. A similar payment model is likely for ChatGPT users once Sora is integrated.
The company might also explore partnerships, such as allowing users to generate videos featuring Disney characters, to encourage more paid video generations after free allowances are exhausted. This strategy could be key to making the integration financially sustainable.
Ultimately, while the exact impact on OpenAI’s bottom line remains to be seen, bringing Sora to ChatGPT signals a significant investment. The company is clearly betting on this integration to drive user growth and enhance the overall ChatGPT experience, even if it means considerably higher operational expenses.
