143

Disney cancels $1 billion OpenAI partnership amid Sora shutdown plans (arstechnica.com)

submitted 3 hours ago by technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/fuck_ai@lemmy.world

6 comments fedilink hide all child comments

While that agreement was presented publicly as all but a done deal, an OpenAI statement at the time said it was “subject to the negotiation of definitive agreements, required corporate and board approvals, and customary closing conditions.”

Now, Axios cites “a source familiar with the situation” in reporting that no money ever changed hands in the planned deal. The Financial Times reports that the deal never got off the ground as OpenAI shifted its strategic direction, according to “two people familiar with the matter.” And Deadline cites a Disney insider who said point-blank that “the deal is not moving forward.”

top 6 comments

sorted by: hot top new old

[-] disorderly@lemmy.world 22 points 2 hours ago

See, this is why openai can never go public: if it has to open its books, the music stops.

Disney does not have the luxury of teasing its investors with billion dollar deals-- every quarter, they have to report where they're stacking their chips, and any cute shit will get them sued and investigated at a minimum. They probably expect their peers to meet them halfway on that.

Openai is not a serious company. When a major prospective partner like fucking Disney wants to open a billion dollar account, what possible excuses could a real company have for not figuring it out?

[-] UnspecificGravity@piefed.social 4 points 49 minutes ago

They are spinning this as some sort of "nah, we decided we didn't want a billion dollars cause we're doing something else instead."

But as you said, that is horseshit, no one leaves a billion dollars on the table.

I bet the reason is that Disney got a peak at the actual capabilities and were like "this is garbage, why would be pay a billion dollars for something that isn't any better than the janky shit that goes on youtube?"

[-] Archangel1313@lemmy.ca 13 points 2 hours ago

Gee. I can't imagine what Disney could possibly want with advanced AI video editing capabilities. /s

[-] technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com 12 points 3 hours ago

The MIC is a much more lucrative grift.

[-] Gork@sopuli.xyz 2 points 1 hour ago

Defense spending goes brrrr

[-] rain_enjoyer@sopuli.xyz 3 points 2 hours ago

not even hegseth can dish out enough money to openai for them to avoid imploding

this post was submitted on 25 Mar 2026

143 points (99.3% liked)

Fuck AI

6501 readers

1346 users here now

"We did it, Patrick! We made a technological breakthrough!"

A place for all those who loathe AI to discuss things, post articles, and ridicule the AI hype. Proud supporter of working people. And proud booer of SXSW 2024.

AI, in this case, refers to LLMs, GPT technology, and anything listed as "AI" meant to increase market valuations.

founded 2 years ago

MODERATORS

VerbFlow@lemmy.world

MrMcGasion@lemmy.world

TootSweet@lemmy.world

BigMikeInAustin@lemmy.world

cynar@lemmy.world

drmeanfeel@lemmy.world

pavnilschanda@lemmy.world

CriticalMedicine@lemmy.world

WonderfulWanderer@lemmy.world