Public Perceptions of GAI: A YouTube Analysis of Sora

ABSTRACT Text‐to‐video generative AI (GAI) tools are captivating the world with hyper‐realistic content. However, public perceptions of such technologies remain ambiguous. This paper investigates Sora, a new OpenAI offering, as an example to understand the public perceptions of GAI technology. The data comprises the 39 most popular YouTube videos about Sora and their most‐liked user comments. Through a SWOT analysis, we identify the multifaceted portrayals of Sora in the videos and the corresponding comments. Implications for future research are discussed.