Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn More
OpenAI‘s Sora was one of the most hyped releases of the AI era, launching in December 2024, nearly 10 months after it was first previewed to awe-struck reactions due to its — at the time, at least — unprecedented level of realism, camera dynamism, and prompt adherence and 60-second long generation clips.
However, much of the luster has worn off as numerous other AI video generators — from U.S. startups Runway to Luma to Chinese competitors Kling, Hailuo MiniMax and Israel’s LTX Studio — are all offering generative AI video models and applications for consumers and enterprise users that rival or have already surpassed OpenAI’s offering. Also, we still haven’t gotten 60-second generations from a single Sora prompt (as far as I know, the maximum appears to be 20 seconds).
But now OpenAI and its ally/investor/frenemy Microsoft are seeking to bring Sora to far more users — for free (at least for a few generations). Today, Microsoft announced that Sora is now being offered through its Bing Video Creator feature on the free Bing mobile app for iOS (Apple iPhone and App Store) and Android (Google Play Store).
That’s an incredible value, given that to get it through ChatGPT and OpenAI, you’ll need to pay for a ChatGPT Plus ($20 monthly) or Pro ($200 monthly) subscription.
Bing Video Creator with Sora is the latest in a series of AI-driven offerings from Microsoft, following the release of Bing Image Creator and Copilot.
As Microsoft Corporate Vice President (CVP) and Head of Search Jordi Ribas wrote on X: “Two years ago, Bing was the first product to ship image creation for free for our users. Today, I’m excited to share that Bing Video Creator is now available in the Bing mobile app, everywhere that Bing Image Creator is available worldwide. Powered by Sora, Bing Video Creator transforms your text prompts into short videos. Just describe what you want to see and watch your vision come to life.”
To introduce Bing Video Creator, Microsoft has released a promotional video ad (embedded above) that showcases how the tool brings creative ideas to life.
The ad demonstrates users typing prompts like “Create a hummingbird flapping its wings in ultra slow motion,” “A turtle drifting slowly through a neon coral canyon,” and “A tiny astronaut exploring a giant mushroom planet.” The AI then generates short, vibrant video clips based on these prompts.
The video emphasizes how easy it is to create and share these videos, including an example of the astronaut video being shared in a chat and receiving positive reactions.
Free 5-second vertical video creations on mobile — with horizontal videos coming soon
Bing Video Creator turns text prompts into five-second AI-generated videos. It does not yet support text-to-video or video-to-video generations (which many other rival AI video generators, including OpenAI’s implementation of Sora, do).
To use the tool, users can open the Bing Mobile app, tap the menu in the bottom right corner, and select “Video Creator.”
Alternatively, you can launch the video creation process by typing a prompt directly into the Bing search bar in the app—beginning with “Create a video of…”
Once the prompt is entered, Bing Video Creator generates a short video based on the description.
For example, a prompt like “In a busy Italian pizza restaurant, a small otter works as a chef and wears a chef’s hat and an apron. He kneads the dough with his paws and is surrounded by other pizza ingredients” would result in an engaging, AI-generated five-second video.
Currently, videos are available in 9:16 portrait format — that is, vertical, perfect for TikTok and YouTube Shorts — though Microsoft says it in its announcement blog post that a 16:9 aka landscape or horizontal aspect ratio option is “coming soon.”
Users can queue up to three video generations at a time, and each creation is stored for up to 90 days. Once a video is ready, it can be downloaded, shared via email or social media, or accessed through a direct link.
Bing Video Creator will be available worldwide today, except for China and Russia. It’s available now on the Bing Mobile app, and desktop and Copilot Search are also said to be launching “soon.”
Free to use for 10 fast generations, unlimited slow generations
Bing Video Creator is free for all users.
Each user is allowed ten “Fast” video generations, which can create videos in seconds.
After using these, users can continue with Standard speed generations — which takes minutes — at no cost, or redeem 100 Microsoft Rewards points for each additional Fast creation.
Those reward points come from Microsoft’s free, opt-in program that allows users to earn points for everyday activities — like searching with Bing, shopping in the Microsoft Store, or playing games with Xbox Game Pass.
To participate, users must sign in with a Microsoft account and activate their Rewards dashboard here.
Beyond fun videos and social media posts, Bing Video Creator is positioned as a tool for enhancing everyday communication and creativity. Bing’s announcement encourages users to create videos to celebrate special moments, test creative ideas, and communicate more effectively.
To help users get the best results, Bing suggests providing descriptive prompts, incorporating action-oriented language and experimenting with tone and style—such as cinematic or playful aesthetics.
Responsible AI and safety, built-in
Microsoft says that Bing Video Creator is designed according to its Responsible AI principles, leveraging C2PA standards for content credentials to help identify AI-generated content.
The tool also includes moderation features that automatically block prompts that could generate harmful or unsafe videos.
Implications for enterprises and technical decision-makers
Although Bing Video Creator is currently framed as a consumer-focused tool, its underlying technology and capabilities could have interesting implications for enterprise users — particularly those involved in AI orchestration, data engineering and AI model deployment.
For AI engineers responsible for deploying and fine-tuning large language models, Bing Video Creator highlights the growing maturity of generative AI video beyond text-based models. While not an enterprise product itself, the technology behind it could inspire new ways to incorporate video generation into business workflows, such as creating automated video summaries, training content, or marketing materials.
For professionals orchestrating scalable AI pipelines, Bing Video Creator showcases a practical application of generative video that could influence how enterprises think about deploying these models at scale. The tool’s ease of use and rapid responsiveness suggest potential future applications within enterprise workflows, whether for internal training, creative ideation, or customer engagement.
Data engineers might see Bing Video Creator’s simplicity and shareability as a demonstration of how AI can make complex data-driven insights more accessible. While these consumer-grade videos are brief and visually focused, similar technology could be adapted in the future to turn complex datasets or project outcomes into short, engaging video narratives that resonate with non-technical audiences.
Bing Video Creator is part of Bing’s ongoing push to democratize AI creativity. While there’s no word yet on features beyond landscape video support, Bing says it will continue refining and expanding the experience as more users begin exploring video generation.
For those ready to try it, Bing invites users to download the Bing Mobile app and begin creating videos today.
To learn more about Bing Video Creator and how to start earning Microsoft Rewards points for even faster video creation, visit here.
Daily insights on business use cases with VB Daily
If you want to impress your boss, VB Daily has you covered. We give you the inside scoop on what companies are doing with generative AI, from regulatory shifts to practical deployments, so you can share insights for maximum ROI.
Thanks for subscribing. Check out more VB newsletters here.
An error occured.
