What are the first steps of a giant like? Heavy. And in fact we heard them this week: they are the steps of Sora, the latest innovation from OpenAI (if you don't know it, I talk about it here). And if a good day starts in the morning, they promise to revolutionize the way we tell stories. What does it mean, concretely, to have the power to translate words into vivid images? Let's explore together the potential of this digital revolution (and those that will follow in the same direction) for creativity.
A lucid and widespread dream
The magic of Sora, the global amazement when seeing his first videos, paradoxically lies in its ease of use. Combined with unprecedented creative power it can make all the difference in the world. In this article, for once, I want to leave out all the negative aspects and risks (we always talk about them). I will focus on the positives.
By typing a few lines of text, users of all ages and backgrounds can bring to life scenarios that previously only existed in their imaginations. This tool democratizes the creation of video and animated content, making it accessible to anyone with a story to tell, without the need for advanced technical skills or expensive animation software.
Then, of course, greater skills (because they are also needed now) will produce authentic wonders and much more structured products, but the "minimum threshold of creativity" rises incredibly. How will our aesthetics change?
Futuristic scenarios: creativity from science fiction to reality
Let's start fromentertainment. With Sora, the line between science fiction and reality becomes blurred. You can create worlds where technology merges with nature, utopian cities where progress and sustainability coexist harmoniously, or virtually travel to different historical eras to relive key moments of humanity.
The speed of production could accelerate significantly, with the creation of trailers or entire episodes made in days rather than months, reducing costs and broadening the panorama of film and television offerings.
Learning
This tool also opens new horizons for the education, allowing teachers and students to grapple with visualizing abstract concepts in a more intuitive and engaging way.
Teachers could create customized content to illustrate difficult topics, such as quantum physics or ancient history, making learning more engaging and less abstract. Students could be tasked with creating videos on the topics they study, facilitating an active teaching approach that stimulates creativity and critical thinking. This could also pave the way for new methods of distance learning, making education accessible to a wider audience.
And in a more general sense?
Let's go further. The social impact of digital creativity
Beyond entertainment and education, Sora (and upcoming releases already under study by Google and Meta) has the potential to generate significant social impact. By creating content that reflects different cultures, experiences and perspectives, it can promote inclusivity and understanding between people.
By making visual storytelling accessible, it will be able to offer a voice to those who previously could not express themselves, transforming the story into a tool of empowerment.
We may see the emergence of new art forms, where visual narrative becomes even more personal and experimental. Artists and writers could collaborate in new ways, with writers providing the lyrics and artists interpreting them through Sora, creating unique works that blend the written word and the moving image. Furthermore, the ease of creating personalized content could lead to an increase in micro-targeting in entertainment and advertising, with works created specifically for increasingly narrow audience niches.
A future built on creativity
The revolution that will come from text-to-video tools is not technological. It's cultural. By facilitating the creation of visual content by a wide range of users, it will provide us with an unprecedented exploration of human creativity. In the future, our storytelling will no longer be confined to written words or the canvas, but will expand into visual dimensions that were unimaginable until recently.
In charting this future, Sora positions itself as a catalyst for a new era of storytelling and creativity, giving everyone the tools to express their unique visions. It remains to be seen how each of us will choose to use this power: to create, to learn, to connect, and, perhaps, to transform the world. I have an idea.
A nice boost for us too
Paradox for paradox, a small appendix also for "traditional" creativity, the one without the assistance of artificial intelligence. In a more or less large niche, that too will be valued. On the contrary. By losing the exclusivity of the role of "demiurge" and creator, man will be able to enjoy playing the "tarot fool", exercising a deliberately imprecise and unpredictable creativity. To surprise the machines, the new "know-it-all masters", human artists will find extreme and stimulating ways.
With Sora, the future of storytelling is in our hands. What stories will we choose to tell? And how will we use our creativity to shape the world of tomorrow? We'll see.
