OpenAI Announces Shutdown of Sora App and API

On 24/03/2026, OpenAI announced that it would discontinue Sora, its AI video generation platform, marking the end of both the consumer app and developer API. The announcement came less than a year after the launch of the Sora app, which had allowed users to create short AI generated videos with synchronized audio and social sharing features. OpenAI informed users that the Sora web and mobile app experiences would be shut down on 26/04/2026, while the Sora API would remain available for a transition period before its scheduled termination on 24/09/2026. Sora was introduced as OpenAI's dedicated video creation platform and became known for its ability to generate realistic video content from text prompts, images, and user-created characters. Following the shutdown announcement, OpenAI advised users to export their content before the service ended. The company stated that data associated with Sora would eventually be deleted after the discontinuation process and any final export windows had concluded. Existing credits purchased for Sora could still be used within other OpenAI services such as Codex. The initial announcement on 24/03/2026 confirmed OpenAI's decision to end support for the platform and indicated that further details would follow regarding the shutdown timeline. Subsequent guidance from OpenAI established the final dates: 26/04/2026 for the web and mobile application shutdown and 24/09/2026 for the API discontinuation. Users and developers were given several months to migrate workflows, download content, and transition to alternative tools before API access ended. Why This Moment Matters: The closure of Sora ended OpenAI's standalone video creation platform while leaving developers with a six-month migration window for API-based projects. The announcement also highlighted the rapid pace of change in the AI industry, where products can evolve or be retired even shortly after launch as companies reallocate resources and adjust long-term priorities.