OpenAI’s latest innovation, Sora, has caused excitement in the mobile app industry, but numerous fake versions have emerged. Following the exclusive release of the official Sora app for iPhones, the Apple App Store was flooded with impostors looking to capitalize on the buzz, Tech Crunch reported.
Sora, an AI-powered video generator by OpenAI, is the company’s most significant consumer launch since ChatGPT. The official mobile app quickly surpassed one million downloads, setting a new record for speed compared to ChatGPT’s launch. However, this success attracted opportunistic developers who swiftly uploaded apps with deceptive names like “Sora” and “Sora 2” to leverage OpenAI’s popularity.
Analytics from Appfigures revealed that over a dozen apps with Sora branding appeared on the App Store immediately after OpenAI’s release. Many of these were rebranded versions of existing apps, hastily updated with the Sora name to attract attention. Some even boldly named themselves “Sora 2,” aligning with OpenAI’s video model to manipulate search results.
One of the most aggressive impostors, “Sora 2 – AI Video Generator,” amassed over 50,000 downloads in the days following the official launch. Collectively, fake Sora apps garnered approximately 300,000 installations on iOS and Android, with over 80,000 occurring after the genuine app’s debut. These apps generated revenue exceeding $160,000 before many were removed.
The proliferation of copycat apps has raised concerns about Apple’s App Review process. Despite OpenAI owning the Sora trademark and the name’s recognition in the tech community, fake apps managed to bypass Apple’s screening and be available for download. While Apple has since eliminated several fake apps, some remain, such as “PetReels — Sora for Pets” with only a few hundred downloads and “Viral AI Photo Maker: Vi-sora” struggling for visibility.
Tech blogger John Gruber labeled one fake app as the “App Store scam of the week,” highlighting the blatant misuse. Despite this, some impostor apps continue to be active. For example, “Sora 2 – Video Generator Ai” has surpassed 6,000 downloads despite its questionable branding.
The rapid emergence of these counterfeit apps underscores the significant attention Sora has garnered in its initial stages. While ChatGPT faced similar issues with fake clones during its launch, Sora’s rapid adoption seems to have triggered a more extensive and quicker influx of impostors.
OpenAI has not provided a statement on the matter, and Apple declined to address inquiries regarding the approval process for fake Sora apps and the potential removal of remaining ones. As a precaution, users interested in Sora should exercise caution as the authentic app remains invite-only, making any widely available versions on the App Store likely to be counterfeit.