Editor: Meimei

AI videos have been going crazy lately, and Sora might be getting anxious.

Since the release of OpenAI's Sora, AI video generation technology has become a hot topic in the technology industry. Although Sora has gained widespread attention for its excellent performance, its delay in opening to the public has left people anticipating while also feeling some anxiety. Meanwhile, other companies have launched their own AI video generation models, making the competition even more intense.

Sora's release was seen as a significant leap forward in AI video generation technology. It seemed to promise the public that it would bring realistic video content generation capabilities driven by text or images. However, six months have passed, and Sora has yet to open to the public, which has not only confused the market but also provided opportunities for other competitors.

In these six months, several companies have quickly risen to prominence with their AI video generation models, becoming formidable competitors to Sora.

Emerging stars in the field

In the past half month or so, the industry's impact on Sora has become more intense and fierce. The first to initiate the impact was the domestic short video platform Kuaishou. Before the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, Kuaishou released the AI video generation model "Keling." The "Keling" large model stands out with its 1080p high resolution and ability to generate videos up to 2 minutes long. It uses a 3D spatial-temporal joint attention mechanism to simulate real-world physical characteristics such as light reflection and fluid movement. Its invitation test experience in the Kuaiying App shows excellent performance in generating videos with large-scale movements and physical laws.

Subsequently, Luma AI, an AI company invested by NVIDIA, launched its AI video generation model, Dream Machine. Dream Machine can transform text and images into realistic video content, winning widespread praise from users for its capabilities in cinematic image quality, coherence, and dynamic character performance. Although it initially faced server pressure due to high demand, users are full of praise for the final video quality, especially its precise control of light and color, as well as its exquisite presentation of details. Many people have now developed ways to use it to revive historical photos and memes.

And the veteran AI video generation tool Runway has also recently released Gen-3. Runway's Gen-3 Alpha, with its epic improvements in detail, consistency, and motion performance, can create highly detailed videos that support complex scene changes and a wide range of filmmaking options. Its demo video is impressive in terms of light, color, skin texture, and clarity.

Usability is more important than ease of use

In terms of market strategy, these emerging stars have clearly adopted a market strategy that is starkly different from Sora's. Although Sora has leading technology, its delay in opening to the public has limited its market influence to a certain extent. Meanwhile, companies like Runway, Luma AI, and Kuaishou have chosen an open strategy, quickly bringing their products to market by providing API interfaces or invitation test experiences.

The core of this open strategy is that usability often attracts users more than pure technological superiority. Users can immediately experience and use these technologies, and this instant sense of satisfaction and participation is something Sora lacks. The emerging stars continuously optimize their products through rapid iterations and user feedback, and this agile development model allows their technology to quickly adapt to market changes and user needs.

In addition, the open strategy has also promoted community participation and word-of-mouth propagation. Users increase the product's popularity and enhance community activity and loyalty by sharing their creations and experiences. This bottom-up marketing approach is more effective than traditional advertising.

In summary, the concept that "usability is more important than ease of use" is particularly prominent in the field of AI video generation technology. The emerging stars have established a positive image in the minds of users through open and iterative strategies, laying the foundation for future technological innovation and market expansion. If Sora wants to maintain its market position, it needs to re-examine its market strategy and find ways to balance technological advantages and user needs.

The speed of catching up is astonishing

At the beginning of Sora's release, its advanced AI video generation technology seemed out of reach, making other competitors appear to only be able to produce simple PPT animation effects in comparison. However, in just half a year, the development speed of these companies has been astonishing. They have not only quickly narrowed the technological gap with Sora but have even made breakthroughs in some aspects. This speed and capability improvement have not only put pressure on Sora, an AI video model, but have also brought unprecedented pressure to the entire film and television industry.

With the continuous maturing and optimization of AI video generation technology, they are expected to play a role in film and television production in the future, from low-cost independent productions to post-production in large film studios. The application of AI video generation technology is gradually changing the workflow of the industry. Practitioners in traditional film and television industries such as Hollywood, facing such rapid technological changes, have to rethink their positioning and future development directions.

This speed of catching up is not only astonishing but also full of inspiration. It tells us that technological upgrading may be much faster than we imagine. For Sora, maintaining a leading position requires continuous innovation and an open strategy. For practitioners in the film and television industry, embracing technological changes and utilizing AI video generation technology to improve creative efficiency and quality will be the key to future competition. With the continuous development of technology, we have reason to believe that AI video generation technology will bring revolutionary changes to the entire film and television industry.