Disney CEO’s First Week Marred by ‘Fortnite,’ OpenAI Woes

Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Officer Josh D’Amaro hasn’t even been in his new job for one week and he’s already seen two, billion-dollar technology bets falter — with one of them unraveling entirely.

A watershed deal Disney struck with OpenAI late last year dissolved suddenly on Tuesday when the artificial intelligence startup announced it was closing down its Sora video generator app in an effort to streamline its product lineup. That abruptly ended what was supposed to be a three-year partnership, including a $1 billion investment, which would have seen some 200 Disney characters from Star Wars, Marvel and other brands populate short-form AI-generated videos and feed its streaming service, Disney+.