Microsoft is the first company to offer public access to OpenAI’s advanced video generation model, Sora — and it’s free (at first).

In a major push to democratize access to cutting-edge AI tools, Microsoft has launched Bing Video Creator, a new feature inside its Bing mobile app that allows users to generate AI-powered videos from simple text prompts. The tool uses Sora, OpenAI’s state-of-the-art video generation model unveiled earlier this year, and represents the first time Sora has been made available to the general public — for free.

This move could significantly alter the landscape of AI content creation, marking a new chapter in Microsoft and OpenAI’s deepening collaboration.

What Is Sora? The Technology Behind Bing Video Creator

Sora is OpenAI’s video generation model capable of creating realistic, high-resolution videos from natural language prompts. Announced in early 2024, Sora gained attention for its ability to produce visually coherent, cinematic clips from simple instructions like “a drone shot of a mountain range at sunrise” or “a dog chasing bubbles in a park.”

Until now, Sora had been limited to select researchers and enterprise partners, with public access restricted. With its integration into the Bing app, Microsoft becomes the first company to offer hands-on access to Sora at scale — a major step in bringing generative video to mainstream audiences.

How Bing Video Creator Works

To use Bing Video Creator:

• Users must log in via the Bing mobile app with a Microsoft account
• They can generate 10 AI videos for free
• After that, additional videos require 100 Microsoft Rewards points each

Microsoft Rewards points can be earned through regular activities like:

• Searching with Bing on desktop or mobile (5 points per search, up to 150 points/day)
• Shopping at the Microsoft Store
• Completing daily Microsoft quizzes or challenges

This gamified access lowers the barrier for entry while helping Microsoft drive more usage of its own services — especially Bing, which trails behind Google in the search engine market.

Limitations at Launch

While the launch marks a huge milestone in public access to AI video generation, there are several notable limitations at this early stage:

• Video length is capped at 5 seconds
• Only vertical 9:16 videos are supported (ideal for TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts)
• Rendering is slow: even in “fast” mode, videos can take hours to generate
• Only three clips can be queued at a time

Microsoft has confirmed that horizontal aspect ratio (16:9) support is coming soon, and it’s likely that longer clip generation and faster speeds will follow as the platform scales.

Why This Move Matters

Microsoft’s decision to offer free access to Sora is a strategic play on multiple fronts:

• For creators: It provides a low-risk opportunity to explore AI-generated video content — which can be used for marketing, social media, education, and storytelling.
• For Microsoft: It strengthens Bing’s positioning as an AI-first search engine and helps build user loyalty through rewards-based engagement.
• For OpenAI: It offers a controlled way to test Sora at scale with real-world users, while still keeping premium access gated.

This rollout aligns with Microsoft’s broader vision of integrating AI across its entire product suite — from Copilot in Windows and Office to Azure AI services — and represents another tangible benefit of its multibillion-dollar partnership with OpenAI.

The Future of AI-Generated Video: What Comes Next?

AI-generated imagery (like DALL·E and Midjourney) is already mainstream, but video generation remains relatively new — and complex. Sora represents one of the first real breakthroughs, capable of producing short, cinematic-style content with basic text input.

By offering this capability to the public for free — even in a limited form — Microsoft is signaling that AI video creation could become as commonplace as generating AI images or writing text with ChatGPT.

While current limitations may frustrate power users or professionals, Bing Video Creator could become a powerful tool for casual creators, marketers, educators, and influencers, especially as it matures and adds support for longer and higher-quality outputs.

Key Takeaways:

• Microsoft launches Bing Video Creator: an AI video tool powered by OpenAI’s Sora
• Available now on the Bing mobile app for users with a Microsoft account
• Users get 10 free AI-generated videos; after that, it costs 100 Microsoft Rewards points per video
• Vertical 9:16 video only at launch; limited to 5 seconds; longer formats coming soon
• First public access to OpenAI’s Sora model, which was previously behind a paywall
• Slow rendering speeds could be a temporary bottleneck

Final Thoughts

Bing Video Creator may be limited in its current form, but its implications are far-reaching. With free access to one of the most advanced video models ever built, Microsoft is giving users a taste of the future — one where content creation is fast, automated, and driven by language, not cameras or crews.

As the tools improve and restrictions ease, expect AI video generation to move from novelty to necessity across industries.