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Artificial intelligence
TechTech Trends

China unveils Sora challenger able to produce videos from text similar to OpenAI tool, though much shorter

  • Vidu is launched by Beijing-based start-up Shengshu Technology together with Tsinghua University
  • The firm has released several demo clips produced by Vidu, which can generate 1080p videos as long as 16 seconds

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Demo clips released by Chinese AI start-up Shengshu Technology show videos produced by Vidu, its text-to-video tool similar to OpenAI’s Sora.
Ben Jiangin Beijing
China has come up with its own text-to-video artificial-intelligence (AI) tool similar to OpenAI’s Sora, although the new model can only produce videos no longer than 16 seconds, compared with the US service’s 60 seconds.

Vidu, the country’s best hope so far in catching up with Sora, was launched over the weekend by start-up Shengshu Technology in a joint effort with the prestigious Beijing-based Tsinghua University.

The model is able to produce videos with 1080p resolution based on simple text prompts, the company said.

“Vidu is the latest achievement of self-reliant innovation, with breakthroughs in many areas,” said Zhu Jun, chief scientist at Shengshu who is also deputy dean at Tsinghua’s Institute for AI, announcing the model at the Zhongguancun Forum held in the Chinese capital, according to a report by Beijing News.

A screenshot of a demo video released by Shengshu.
A screenshot of a demo video released by Shengshu.

Vidu is “imaginative”, “can simulate the physical world” and “produce 16-second videos with consistent characters, scenes and timeline”, Zhu said, adding that the model is also able to comprehend “Chinese elements”.

During the model’s unveiling, Shengshu released several demo clips, including one featuring a panda playing the guitar while sitting on grass and another of a puppy swimming in a pool, both showing vivid details.

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