BURBANK (CNS) - The Burbank-based Walt Disney Co. announced Thursday it has made a $1 billion investment in OpenAI and struck a three-year licensing deal that will allow users of the artificial intelligence company's Sora platform to general content featuring an array of Disney characters.

"Technological innovation has continually shaped the evolution of entertainment, bringing with it new ways to create and share great stories with the world," Disney CEO Bob Iger said in a statement. "The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry, and through this collaboration with OpenAI we will thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach of our storytelling through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their works.

"Bringing together Disney's iconic stories and characters with OpenAI's groundbreaking technology puts imagination and creativity directly into the hands of Disney fans in ways we've never seen before, giving them richer and more personal ways to connect with the Disney characters and stories they love."

Under the licensing arrangement, users of the Sora platform will be able to generate sharable video content with access to more than 200 Disney- owned characters ranging from Mickey Mouse to the Mandalorian.

Curated selections of Sora-generated videos will be available for viewing on Disney+. Under the licensing agreement, Disney will take advantage of OpenAI technology "to build new products, tools and experiences, including for Disney+ and deploying ChatGPT for its employees."

Disney insisted that both companies "are affirming a shared commitment to the responsible use of AI that protects user safety and the rights of creators."

"Together, the companies will advance human-centered AI that respects the creative industries and expands what is possible for storytelling," according to a Disney statement.

Disney characters are expected to become available for Sora users in early 2026.

Characters available under the agreement will range from classic figures such as Mickey and Minnie Mouse and Cinderalla, to those from the worlds of "Star Wars," "Frozen," "Monsters Inc.," "Toy Story" and "Moana," along with those from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

"Disney is the global gold standard for storytelling, and we're excited to partner to allow Sora and ChatGPT Images to expand the way people create and experience great content," Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, said in a statement. "This agreement shows how AI companies and creative leaders can work together responsibly to promote innovation that benefits society, respect the importance of creativity, and help works reach vast new audiences."

Disney's announcement came on the same day news broke that the studio had sent a cease-and-desist letter to Google, alleging the web-search giant of widespread copyright infringement through its AI services by generating content with copyrighted Disney characters.

The letter sent by attorney David Singer alleges Google ``has refused to implement any technological measures to mitigate or prevent copyright infringement, even though such measures are readily available and being used by Google's competitors. Instead, Google continues to directly exploit Disney's copyrights for commercial gain."

Disney previously sent similar letters to companies including Meta and Character.AI, Deadline reported.

Tim Conway Jr