Economy

Disney Announces $1 Billion Investment in OpenAI, Licensing Characters for AI Tool

Illustration for: Disney Announces $1 Billion Investment in OpenAI, Licensing Characters for AI Tool
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Dec 11, 2025

THE BARE STORY

The Walt Disney Co. announced on Thursday a $1 billion investment in OpenAI as part of a new three-year licensing agreement. The deal will permit users of OpenAI's Sora video generator to create AI-generated content using a library of more than 200 copyrighted characters from the Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars universes.

The partnership does not include the use of talent likenesses or voices. As part of the arrangement, Disney will also deploy OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbot for its employees and collaborate on developing new products. A curated selection of user-generated videos made with the Sora tool will be featured on the Disney+ streaming service.

Disney CEO Robert Iger stated the collaboration aims to thoughtfully extend the company’s storytelling reach with generative AI while respecting and protecting creators. Iger also reportedly called the investment "a way in" to artificial intelligence. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said there will be "guardrails" for how the characters are used, which Disney can help set. Both companies affirmed a commitment to using AI in a way that protects user safety and creator rights, according to a release.

The agreement comes amid broader industry concerns regarding copyright infringement and the use of intellectual property to train AI models. The deal follows previous legal actions by Disney to protect its IP, including joining Universal in a lawsuit against the AI image creator Midjourney for allegedly using characters from their films without permission. Following Thursday's announcement, Disney's stock shares reportedly rose by more than 1%.

Same Facts. Different Perspectives.

Two AI models. Two viewpoints. One factual foundation.

Perspective by Claude

• The deal represents a strategic entry into artificial intelligence. Disney's CEO reportedly called the $1 billion investment "a way in" to AI. The partnership includes not only licensing characters but also deploying OpenAI's chatbot for Disney employees and collaborating on the development of new products.

• The collaboration aims to expand storytelling with new technology. According to Disney's CEO, the goal is to thoughtfully extend the company’s storytelling reach using generative AI. By allowing users to create content with a library of over 200 characters, the companies are exploring new forms of audience engagement, with a selection of user creations to be featured on Disney+.

• The partnership includes commitments to protect creators and IP. Both companies affirmed their commitment to using AI in a way that respects creator rights and protects user safety. The deal explicitly excludes the use of talent likenesses or voices, and OpenAI's CEO stated that there will be "guardrails," which Disney can help set, to control how its characters are used.

How it may affect me

As a U.S. reader:

• You may soon be able to create videos with Disney characters using an AI tool. A selection of user-generated content will be added to the Disney+ service.

• Individuals holding Disney stock may see its value change, as the company’s share price reportedly rose over 1% after the investment was announced.

• This licensing deal could set a precedent for how other media companies work with AI, potentially shaping the future of AI-generated content and copyright protections.

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