Mark Cuban has embraced the rise of AI-generated video with a playful invitation for fans to create AI videos of him using OpenAI’s Sora platform. In posts on X and Bluesky, the billionaire investor and former “Shark Tank” star announced that his “Cameos are open,” encouraging users to generate videos featuring his likeness. He even shared an invite code—MCUBAN—to help others access the app, which has quickly become a viral sensation. The posts, which have been viewed over 800,000 times, reflect Cuban’s lighthearted approach, as he told Business Insider the project was “just me having fun” and that anyone can use his likeness for personal, non-commercial clips. Sora, OpenAI’s AI video-generation tool, launched in a limited invite-only format for iOS on September 30 and has since reached over 1 million downloads in fewer than five days—surpassing even ChatGPT’s early adoption pace. The app features a social feed of short AI-generated videos and a “Cameos” function that lets users insert their own or others’ likenesses into AI-created scenes. Early adopters, including OpenAI staff like CEO Sam Altman, have already generated viral content, ranging from fake news segments to music videos and humorous deepfakes—such as Altman being caught stealing GPUs at Target. The rapid popularity of Sora has sparked both excitement and concern. The app’s ability to produce hyper-realistic videos has raised alarms among artists, actors, and musicians, who fear unauthorized use of their likenesses and intellectual property. Major Hollywood groups, including the Motion Picture Association, have criticized OpenAI’s policies as exploitative. In response, OpenAI has begun rolling out more granular controls for rightsholders, allowing them to restrict how their characters or images are used in Sora videos. The company has also floated the idea of revenue-sharing models for creators whose likenesses are frequently used. Despite these concerns, Sora’s popularity has surged. By October 3, it had climbed to the No. 1 spot in Apple’s App Store in the U.S. and Canada, beating out competitors like Google’s Gemini and ChatGPT. The app’s invite system has led to a black market, with codes being resold on platforms like eBay for up to $45. OpenAI has warned against such sales, stating they violate community guidelines. OpenAI’s Sora 2 model, which powers the app, can generate high-quality, coherent videos from simple text prompts. However, it still struggles with certain inputs—some prompts are blocked due to copyright or safety concerns, while others produce inconsistent or nonsensical results. CNBC’s Julia Boorstin tested the app with prompts like “a fat orange cartoon cat eating lasagna” and “a superhero saving a woman from a burning building,” observing both successes and failures. OpenAI’s team, led by Sora head Bill Peebles, acknowledges the challenges of scaling the platform amid rapid growth. They’ve pledged to improve moderation, fix technical issues, and enhance user experience. While the app remains limited to the U.S. and Canada, its explosive launch signals a new era in AI-powered content creation—one that blends creativity, entertainment, and ethical complexity. Cuban’s public endorsement adds fuel to the trend, showing how public figures are engaging with AI tools not just as innovators, but as participants in a cultural shift. As Sora continues to evolve, the balance between innovation, user freedom, and creator rights will remain a central debate in the age of synthetic media.