Developers say Sora, unlike Vine/TikTok, is not about people in social media
Developers are raising eyebrows over Sora, a fresh platform that, they say, veers away from the vibe of Vine and TikTok. “Unlike Vine and TikTok, Sora ‘feels like a clear artifact of the current stage of social media,’” Twyman notes. “It’s not about people anymore.”
That comment has kicked off a wider chat. A lot of creators worry there are now too many apps that don’t quite get how people interact online. It isn’t about how pretty the UI looks or how many users are signed up; it’s about why the app exists. Vine gathered folks around short, personal clips, TikTok turned algorithmic feeds into a cultural engine, while Sora seems to skip the human side altogether.
So here’s the question: if a platform’s core isn’t rooted in people, what does it actually support? The worry isn’t hype, it feels like a growing unease that the market is flooding us with services that miss the social cues that made earlier apps click. Can a network really thrive when its design deliberately steps away from people?
Unlike Vine and TikTok, however, Sora “feels like a clear artifact of the current stage of social media,” Twyman says. “It’s not about people anymore.” That’s also a growing concern among developers who say there are now too many social networking apps that have a poor understanding of social dynamics. Like Sora, they are “inherently antisocial and nihilistic,” says Rudy Fraser, the creator of Blacksky, the custom feed and moderation service for Black users on Bluesky. “They’ve given up on fostering real human connection and are looking to profit on supplying people with artificial connection and manufactured dopamine.” Many will assume that Sora represents a new era of social media, but that’s wrong.
Developers are sounding a cautious note about Sora, OpenAI’s new AI video app that can conjure any imagined scene in seconds. Seeing Freddy Krueger dancing on a reality-show stage or Mr. Rogers tutoring Tupac on a classic rap diss shows how far the tool can stretch creativity, but that same flexibility also seems ripe for misuse.
Generative AI has long carried a “capacity for abuse” that sits alongside its technical promise. Twyman points out that Sora “feels like a clear artifact of the current stage of social media” and argues it “isn’t about people anymore,” suggesting the platform could shift focus away from human interaction, unlike Vine or TikTok, which were built around users. Developers also warn that many social-networking apps still lack a solid grasp of social dynamics, so it’s hard to say how Sora will fit into that crowded, poorly understood space.
Whether Sora’s purely creative intent can be balanced against its potential for harm remains uncertain, and the debate about its place in the wider media ecosystem is just getting started.
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Common Questions Answered
How does Sora differ from Vine and TikTok according to the developers?
Developers state that Sora diverges sharply from platforms like Vine and TikTok because it is not centered around people. Twyman specifically notes that Sora feels like an artifact of the current social media stage, emphasizing its departure from human-centric interaction.
What is the primary concern developers have about new social networking apps like Sora?
The main concern is that these apps, including Sora, demonstrate a poor understanding of social dynamics and are described as inherently antisocial and nihilistic. Developers like Rudy Fraser argue there are now too many such apps that fail to grasp fundamental social principles.
What examples illustrate Sora's creative capacity and potential for misuse?
The article highlights Sora's ability to generate imaginative scenes, such as Freddy Krueger dancing or Mr. Rogers tutoring Tupac, showcasing its creative reach. However, this same capacity also opens the door to misuse, underscoring the intertwined potential for abuse and technical promise in generative AI.