Back in September, generative AI giant OpenAI unveiled an update to its video generation tool, coined Sora 2.
Sora 2 promises to build upon the foundations of its predecessor, Sora, while achieving “things that are exceptionally difficult – and in some instances outright impossible – for prior video generation models”.
Below, we explain everything you need to know about Sora 2, including how it works, what it can do and how you can access the tool yourself. We also explain how you can spot a video that’s made with Sora 2.
What is Sora?
We’ll start by giving a refresh on the original. Announced in February 2024, Sora is an AI-powered audio and video generation tool by OpenAI. Sora creates realistic video footage from simple text instructions or “prompts”.
What is Sora 2?
Sora 2 is the latest version of OpenAI’s video generator, Sora, which launched at the end of September 2025.
OpenAI explains that Sora 2 builds on the foundation of Sora but introduces capabilities that were previously difficult for video models to achieve. These capabilities include “more accurate physics”, which means Sora 2 should be able to obey the laws of physics better than before, bringing us “closer to simulating reality”.
In addition, Sora 2 promises to offer “sharper realism, synchronised audio, enhanced steerability, and an expanded stylistic range”, while being able to create “sophisticated background soundscapes, speech and sound effects with a high degree of realism”.
Despite promising to be a “big leap forward”, OpenAI does caveat that Sora 2 is still learning and makes plenty of mistakes. However, as the company will continue building upon the model, it’s hoped that it’ll keep learning and making improvements.
How do I get Sora 2?
At the time of writing, Sora 2 is only available within the Sora iOS app across the US and Canada, although OpenAI intends to expand into additional countries. Select users will also be invited to access Sora 2 through sora.com, which requires an invite code.
ChatGPT Pro users can also access Sora 2 Pro, which is OpenAI’s higher-quality model, via sora.com too.
Initially, Sora 2 will be available for free, but OpenAI doesn’t specify how long this will last or how much it will eventually cost.
How to tell if a video is made with Sora 2?
There’s no denying that AI-generated videos are becoming very good, which naturally makes detecting that they’re even AI in the first place quite difficult. To help combat this, OpenAI offers some signals to highlight videos generated by Sora as AI-generated.
Firstly, at launch, all videos will carry a visible watermark so users can easily see that this isn’t a real video. These watermarks, however, can likely be easily removed by creators, so this isn’t something to necessarily rely on.
Otherwise, OpenAI says all Sora videos embed C2PA metadata, which allows publishers, companies and others to verify content’s origins and related information.
What are Sora 2 cameos?
Cameos are a new feature that’s rolling out with Sora 2, on an invite-only basis. Essentially, Cameos allows you to add yourself or friends into a Sora scene with “remarkable fidelity” which captures your likeness.
Sounds pretty weird, right?
OpenAI has promised a few privacy tools, including stricter permissions for teen users, and any videos that contain your personal camera are viewable by you at any time, including drafts by other people. You can also revoke access or remove any video that contains your cameo.
