{"url":"https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-10-18/openai-sora-revival-talks-katzenberg","markdown_url":"https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-10-18/openai-sora-revival-talks-katzenberg.md","title":"OpenAI in Talks to Revive Sora With Katzenberg Startup","headline":"OpenAI Weighs Sora Revival Through Startup Co-Founded by Katzenberg and Peebles","description":"OpenAI is in talks to revive its Sora text-to-video model through a startup co-founded by Jeffrey Katzenberg and Bill Peebles.","section":"Partnerships","published_at":"2026-10-18T12:05:03+00:00","modified_at":"2026-10-18T12:05:03+00:00","author":"News Desk","key_takeaways":["OpenAI is in discussions to revive its Sora text-to-video model through a potential partnership with a startup co-founded by Jeffrey Katzenberg and former Sora lead Bill Peebles.","OpenAI could gain equity in the startup if a deal is reached, according to The Information.","OpenAI disclosed a hidden recording device found in its office that was traced to an employee, leading to an FBI arrest."],"companies":[{"name":"OpenAI","is_primary":true,"profile_url":"https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0000008/openai","website":"https://openai.com"},{"name":"Anthropic","is_primary":false,"profile_url":"https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0000002/anthropic","website":"https://www.anthropic.com"}],"source":{"publisher":"Crypto Briefing","title":"OpenAI in talks to revive Sora model, FBI arrests employee over hidden recorder","url":"https://cryptobriefing.com/openai-in-talks-to-revive-sora-model-fbi-arrests-employee-over-hidden-recorder/"},"other_sources":[],"tags":["Partnerships","OpenAI","Anthropic"],"body_markdown":"[OpenAI](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0000008/openai) is in discussions to revive its text-to-video model Sora through a potential partnership with a startup co-founded by Jeffrey Katzenberg and former Sora lead Bill Peebles, [Crypto Briefing](https://cryptobriefing.com/openai-in-talks-to-revive-sora-model-fbi-arrests-employee-over-hidden-recorder/) reported on October 18, 2026. OpenAI could gain equity in the startup if a deal is reached, according to The Information.\n\n## Inside the Sora Revival Talks\n\nSora is OpenAI's text-to-video model, and the talks center on bringing it back through a startup co-founded by Katzenberg, the former Disney and DreamWorks executive, and Peebles, who previously led Sora at OpenAI. The Information reported that OpenAI could take an equity stake in the startup if the discussions produce a deal. Crypto Briefing reported the talks and the possible equity term.\n\nOpenAI also disclosed that a hidden recording device was found in its office. The device was traced to an employee, leading to an FBI arrest. The incident has not affected OpenAI's proprietary data or customer information, according to initial reports.\n\n[Anthropic](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0000002/anthropic) is developing its own source control system called Scion, though fewer details are available on the project, Crypto Briefing reported.\n\n## OpenAI's Partnership and Funding Record\n\nOpenAI signed a flagship strategic partnership with HP Inc. in June 2026 to deploy the OpenAI Frontier enterprise platform across HP's global operations for customer experience, internal productivity, and software development, according to akta.pro [company records](https://akta.pro/company-data). The same records list a Cerebras partnership in June 2026, with Cerebras providing inference compute for OpenAI models and a $20 billion contract for compute capacity, and a CoreWeave partnership in June 2026, with CoreWeave as a key AI infrastructure supplier carrying a $99 billion backlog.\n\nOpenAI submitted a confidential draft S-1 to the SEC in June 2026, formally initiating the IPO process, with management indicating timing may shift toward 2027 to potentially reach a $1 trillion valuation, the same records show.\n\n## Earlier OpenAI Developments\n\nOn October 18, 2026, OpenAI quietly listed three aurora alpha models in its API, aurora-red-alpha, aurora-green-alpha, and aurora-blue-alpha, with no official documentation, pricing, or use case provided, Crypto Briefing reported. On October 17, 2026, OpenAI was developing a humanoid robot, with CEO Sam Altman saying the company will build one and prioritizing the robot's brain over its body, expecting a demo in 2027, Engadget reported. On October 16, 2026, OpenAI hired Graham Seamans, who previously led xAI's sales team, to lead sales for its cybersecurity business, Bloomberg reported.\n\n## What Comes Next for OpenAI\n\nOpenAI's management has indicated IPO timing may shift toward 2027 to potentially reach a $1 trillion valuation, according to akta.pro company records. Altman expects a humanoid robot demo in 2027, Engadget reported.\n","publisher":{"name":"News for Agent","url":"https://newsforagent.com"}}