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Welcome back to the Neural Net! Congrats, we made it to Friday.
In today’s edition: Sora 2 marks a pivotal moment for the entertainment industry, 1 in 5 high schoolers (disturbingly) know someone dating AI, build agents in minutes with OpenAI’s latest release, and more.
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The Street
note: stock data as of last market close
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Sora 2 Is Testing the Limits of Entertainment — and Our Attention Spans
OpenAI’s new Sora app isn’t just a tool — it’s a social experiment. Launched on September 30, the iOS app combines an AI video generator, a TikTok-style feed, and a social network built entirely from synthetic media. CEO Sam Altman calls it the “ChatGPT for creativity moment.”
It’s topping the charts—and testing what OpenAI stands for.
Early reviewers have already captured the vibe: “It’s cool. It’s scary. It’s a hit,” wrote one, while Business Insider called it deliriously fun “because it’s starring you.” If you didn’t know, one of the coolest features lets you drop yourself into a video alongside your favorite celebrity.
Meanwhile on X, posts like this have been circulating, arguing that OpenAI is drifting from its original mission:
No matter whose side you’re on, society’s overall appetite for Sora is high. In less than five days, it surpassed one million downloads and shot to #1 on the App Store, outpacing ChatGPT’s own launch despite still being invite-only.
As MIT Technology Review points out, Sora’s big debut comes with a few big question marks:
Will people actually stay on it? 👀
The initial spike in downloads proves there’s massive curiosity, but it’s unclear whether users will keep scrolling once the novelty wears off.Can OpenAI afford it? 💸
Video generation is one of AI’s most energy-intensive and expensive tasks. Altman acknowledged the cost in an October 3 post: “we are going to have to somehow make money for video generation.” For now, Sora remains free, but the bill—financial and environmental—is still in draft mode.What happens when the lawyers show up? 🧑⚖️
OpenAI launched with an opt-out policy (meaning you’re in by default), which pairs nicely with their new cologne, Eau de Litigation. The platform is already filled with copyrighted characters and celebrity deepfakes, but to be fair, the company says it’s building tools to give rights holders more “granular control” over how their creations and likenesses are used.
👉 Ultimately, Sora isn’t just testing OpenAI’s technology—it’s testing society’s appetite for synthetic reality. If the current trajectory holds, we may soon enter a world where, as investor Greg Isenberg predicts, people no longer ask “What’s your favorite show?” but “What’s your favorite generator?”
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Heard in the Server Room
A new survey found that nearly 1 in 5 high schoolers say they or someone they know has dated AI, and 42% have used it for companionship. Yep, “AI boyfriend” is no longer just a meme. Students in schools that rely heavily on AI are even more likely to turn to chatbots for comfort, advice, or a sense of connection. Fortunately there are highly trained teachers ready to intervene when things get out get hand right? Right?
Some job seekers are getting sneaky, hiding secret prompts in their résumés to trick AI recruiters into calling them “exceptionally well-qualified.” The hack, which blew up on TikTok and Reddit, has become so common that companies are now updating software to catch it (and sometimes auto-reject it). Platforms like Greenhouse say up to 10% of résumés contain hidden text or code meant to sweet-talk the bots. Recruiters, backed into a corner, vow to find some other way to not have to actually read any resumes.
Microsoft’s betting on healthcare to help Copilot stand out and break free from OpenAI’s shadow. A new update will pull trusted content from Harvard Health Publishing to deliver credible, doctor-level answers to health questions. It’s a strategic move to position Copilot as a more reliable, personalized AI assistant — proof that Microsoft can build its own models without leaning on OpenAI’s tech, and maybe a subtle reminder that Copilot still has a pulse.
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How to AI: Build Agents, Not Just Prompts
If you’ve been curious about AI “agents” but have no idea where to start, OpenAI’s new AgentKit is worth a look. It was easily the standout from their recent Dev Day — a toolkit that makes building and managing AI agents less of a science experiment and more of a normal business process.
Agent Builder → a drag-and-drop canvas where you map your workflow like a flowchart. No code, just logic, and works like magic. (“If customer says X → check policy → respond with Y.”)
ChatKit → prebuilt chat UIs you can embed in your product so your agent feels native, not tacked on.
Connector Registry → an admin panel that decides what your agent can and can’t touch. Think IT guardrails that keep your agent from oversharing confidential slides with the enthusiasm of an intern on their first day.
Evals → a built-in feedback loop that grades your agent’s work and spots hallucinations.
In short: it helps you map what your business already does and turn those steps into something an AI can handle. It’s OpenAI’s attempt to make AI practical, aka helping companies graduate from “playing with chatbots” to automating real work.
👉 Click here to get started with AgentKit — just note, some features are still in beta. And if you’re not sure how to get started, it offers pre-built template workflows as well!
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That’s it for today! Have a great weekend, we’ll be back Tuesday.