Elias Stad

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TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and even Facebook (for whoever still uses it) have all integrated short-form video content, also known as “reels,” into their platforms. I’ll admit right away that I use Instagram Reels a bit too much. But hey, in my defense, I deleted TikTok from my phone (though I still have it on my iPad…). Anyway, the point I want to make in this blog is that we are entering a new era of content, at least that is how I see it. I am talking about OpenAI’s newly launched app Sora. Honestly, I am very curious and a bit wary about the developments that will follow, because we are already addicted to our phones. Just imagine what happens when we get a TikTok on steroids.

To briefly explain what Sora is: it is OpenAI’s latest video generation model (second generation), and now introduced as a separate social media app which looks like TikTok. The main difference between Sora and other short-form content platforms is that Sora creates videos directly from text, while the others require you to record or edit the content yourself. At the moment of writing this, Sora is only available in the USA and Canada, and access is invite-only (OpenAI, 2025). Still, within just one week (!), it became the number one app in the Apple App Store (CNBC, 2025), showcasing how popular it is.

Unfortunately, the app is not yet available in Europe, but for the sake of academic purposes, I sacrificed myself by spending time on YouTube to get a sense of Sora’s content (quality). Here’s what I found and also some of my thoughts:

Pros

Realistic visuals and sounds: The videos look surprisingly realistic, often very close to human-level quality. With every new release, the gap between real and generated content becomes smaller. This makes me wonder how we, as a society, will start looking at content in general. Are we going to question every photo or video we see?
Fast generation: Videos are created extremely quickly, making the creative process almost effortless. I would hold my breath if I were working for a commercial agency.
Promising use cases: Sora seems especially useful for creating short advertisements, promotional clips, or creative experiments.

Cons

Limited length: Videos are currently restricted to around 10 to 15 seconds, depending on your subscription plan.
Uncanny realism: Overall, the videos look very real, but there are still tiny inconsistencies that not everyone will notice, especially if you lack context or haven’t developed the ability to spot AI-generated visuals.
Low-effort content: There’s a term for these kinds of low-effort videos: “slop.” It’s often used by YouTubers/ content creators to describe repetitive, low-quality content made purely for quick attention rather than genuine creativity or passion. In this case I wonder if we, consumers, will lower our standards for what we consider good content.
Deepfake concerns: In Sora, you can create an avatar of yourself called a Cameo. If you grant permission, other users can generate videos or memes featuring your likeness, which can look extremely realistic. I wonder to what extent people will allow others to use their face to create a meme for example. I am sceptical about it. I don’t think people in general want others to make videos of themselves.

This is just the beginning, but what a game changer. If Sora becomes as successful as ChatGPT, and other competitors also jump into the short-form text-to-video content market, I really wonder what industries it will disrupt and how society will adapt to it. The boundaries between real and generated content are already fading, and this development will only accelerate that process. Unfortunately, I can’t answer most of the asked questions during this blog, but one thing is clear: we are entering a new era of media, and it will be fascinating and a little scary to see where it leads.

References:

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/03/openai-sora-apple-app-store.html

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The Metaverse, once the buzzword of the pandemic era, with Facebook’s rebranding to Meta as the cherry on top. Mark Zuckerberg went all in: in just a year and a half, he invested over $16 billion into this digital world project¹. The idea of building the “new internet”, or even replacing the smartphone, may sound fantastic for a tech company. But behind the promising dreams lies a more pressing question: should we, as a society, truly want this?

I’ll be upfront: I’m critical. The prospect of exchanging even more of our offline lives for a digital world feels more frightening than hopeful. Of course, I believe in progress and technological innovation. But the Metaverse? I’d rather see humanity let that one pass us by.

Yes, there are some useful use cases. Think of training students in a virtual environment for complex professions, from surgeons to mechanics. For these kinds of use cases, I fully welcome the Metaverse. But when it comes to our social and human existence, I see the glass mostly half empty.

First, the Metaverse could increase the social gap between us. We are already glued to our phones, do we really want to extend that by giving up our real lives for a virtual one too? Life is built on our senses: genuine conversations, a handshake, a simple look into someone’s eyes. In the Metaverse these become dull, replaced by cartoonish avatars in artificial landscapes. People may feel more “connected”, but research shows the opposite. They state that heavy social media users consistently report higher levels of loneliness and depression². The metaverse could amplify this paradox: more digital connections, but fewer meaningful and deeper friendships.

Second, it will stimulate impulsive consumption. Digital outfits, exclusive worlds, designer avatars, you can name it. I fear a marketplace of transactions, distributing the money into the “wrong” hands. These tech companies have the brightest minds, biggest data sets and already a good understanding of who we are, we are not in a good position. The signs are by the way already there: teenagers spending lots of money on platforms like Roblox, trading real money for virtual status.

Third, it will increase health risks. Less movement, more screen time, and the desire of escaping the real world can fuel addiction, depression, and physical problems. The youngest generations are most at risk. We already live in a world where more children are obese than underweight³. I really think we shouldn’t stimulate indoor lifestyle more, but spending more time outdoors with friends, family or just alone.

And finally, privacy. Today, Meta knows what we click and like. In the Metaverse it will know how we move, know where we look, and how we feel. If even our emotions become measurable data, how much humanity remains?

The Metaverse promises a new world. But perhaps it is mostly an escape from the real one. And that, flawed as it may be, is the only world we truly have.

References:

Sora: “The TikTok on Steroids”

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Pros

Cons

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Should We Embrace Every Innovation? Rethinking the Metaverse Hype

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