Sora, OpenAI’s video generation tool, has shut down — and teens who used it are looking for replacements. Parents should know that there are three categories of Sora alternatives with very different profiles of risk.
For most families, Sora going away is not a major event. If your household never cared about AI video, this probably does not matter much. But if your teen was interested in AI video, wanted to use it for a project, or already posted something with it online, then the question is not what happened to Sora, but what comes next.
That is where parents can lose visibility fast. Kids usually don’t stop wanting a tool just because one version disappears. They start looking for the next option.
Right now, the best Sora alternatives are Google's Gemini and Veo.
Parents can use Family Link to set up supervised accounts for kids who use Gemini apps. These protections include added content filters for minors, but even Google admits that the setting isn’t perfect.
At this time, it’s not clear if Veo has parental controls or protections. With any AI app your child uses, it’s essential to set restrictions around when and how often they can use these apps, and to understand how they’re using them. With BrightCanary, parents can monitor what their children prompt when they use AI apps such as Gemini and Veo.
This is where things get more complicated, and where many teens will probably land first. These tools are not just random junk apps — they are part of broader creative suites that function as legitimate tools for creators, hobbyists, and fast-moving online content creators. They include CapCut, Adobe Firefly, Runway, Luma Dream Machine, Pika, and Kling.
CapCut is probably one of the most likely Sora replacements for teens because it’s tightly integrated with TikTok, and it now provides AI video tools. The problem is that these platforms combine speed, engagement, and creative power in a way that can pull a teen deeper into content creation very quickly. They are built to make creation feel easy, immediate, and fun. That means they deserve more supervision than a parent may expect.
This is the bucket parents should worry about most. It is the long tail of imposter applications and sites, image generators lacking age controls, recycled wrappers over an AI model, questionable moderation and safety features, aggressive data collection, and insecure shovelware.
The warning sign here is a lack of transparency. You cannot tell who built it. You cannot tell what happens to uploads. You cannot tell what it stores, what it shares, or what happens to uploaded or generated content.
A teen disappointed that one tool went away is much more likely to click into a bad substitute if the new one is fast, free, and being pushed by search results, social posts, or app-store recommendations.
BrightCanary monitors what your child downloads and types across all apps, so if they start using an unfamiliar AI video tool, you'll see it before it becomes a problem.
Not all replacements are equal. Some tools are easier to research because they are public, visible, and under scrutiny.. Some are junk built to impersonate successful applications or mine data. If your teen starts looking for what comes after Sora, you should be involved in deciding what they end up using.
If they are moving toward a mainstream replacement, you have a better chance of understanding the age limits, parental controls, content restrictions, privacy settings, and what happens to uploaded material. If they are moving toward creator software, you need to understand the platform and what it's being used for. If they are moving toward the junk drawer, it’s time to guide them toward something safer.
Before you say yes to any Sora replacement, answer a few questions:
Sora going away is not a crisis for most families. But for teens who want AI video generation, they are entering a minefield of choices. Parents need to be involved in the decision making.
Learn more about how to explain the risks of deepfakes to your kids, and check out our investigation into whether ChatGPT safety controls actually work.
