OpenAI drops 'cameo' label from Sora app after legal action, called 'characters

OpenAI’s Sora app has found itself in a naming dispute that forced a quick UI tweak. The feature once marketed under the “cameo” moniker now appears simply as “characters,” a change that follows a legal challenge from a party claiming prior rights to the term. This isn’t just a cosmetic adjustment; it raises questions about how AI firms brand tools that echo existing products.

While the tech can splice together visuals and text at scale, the underlying process still leans on pattern‑matching across massive datasets rather than genuine invention. Critics argue that such rebranding underscores a broader tension: generative models excel at remixing, but they stumble when it comes to creating something truly novel. As OpenAI navigates the fallout, the episode spotlights the fine line between clever naming and potential infringement, and it hints at the limits of originality in a field built on recombination.

Now, because of the legal action, OpenAI has temporarily scrubbed the “cameo” branding from its Sora app. The app now refers to the feature as “characters.” Creative originality is not achievable by generative AI, which is built on finding patterns in large datasets, and OpenAI seems to be matching.