AI Startup OpenArt Launches One-Click Brain Rot Video Generation

Videos featuring AI-generated "brain rot" content are gaining significant traction across the internet, particularly captivating younger audiences. These clips often showcase bizarre characters, such as a shark sporting sneakers or a ballerina with a cappuccino for a head.

Pioneering this trend is the startup OpenArt, established in 2022 by two former Google employees. The platform reportedly attracts around three million active users each month.

The company recently introduced a new "one-click story" feature in open beta. This tool enables users to transform a single sentence, a full script, or even a song into a one-minute video with a clear narrative arc. It supports a wide range of content, from lighthearted TikTok stories to more substantial explainer videos or music videos for YouTube. OpenArt also sees potential for this feature in advertising applications.

One-Click Story offers three primary templates: Character Vlog, Music Video, or Explainer. For a character vlog, users begin by uploading an image of their character and providing a descriptive prompt. If a song is uploaded, the software analyzes the lyrics and generates animations that reflect the song's themes, such as illustrating flowers blossoming in a garden.

Users can refine their videos by revisiting the editor's storyboard mode to edit individual clips and adjust prompts for better results. The platform integrates over 50 different AI models, giving users the flexibility to choose their preferred tools, including DALLE-3, GPT, Imagen, Flux Kontext, and Stable Diffusion.

The primary goal of this new feature is to make AI creation even more accessible. Despite ongoing debates, AI-generated content remains immensely popular.

While these tools offer substantial benefits—like enabling creators to rapidly produce original content with unique characters and stories—they also raise several ethical concerns. Key issues include the potential for imitating other artists' styles, intellectual property rights, and the risks of misuse for creating misinformation.

Tech and VC Heavyweights Join the Disrupt 2025 Agenda

Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital, Elad Gil — these are just a few of the industry leaders joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They will share key insights to drive startup growth and give you a competitive edge. Don't miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, a prime opportunity to learn from the top minds in technology — secure your ticket now and save over $600 before prices increase.

Tech and VC Heavyweights Join the Disrupt 2025 Agenda

Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital — these are just some of the notable figures confirmed for the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They are here to provide the knowledge that fuels startup success and hones your competitive advantage. Don't miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt and the chance to gain wisdom from leading tech voices — get your ticket today and save up to $675 before the price goes up.

During our testing, we observed that the Character Vlog option could venture into a legally ambiguous area due to the types of characters available—such as Pikachu, SpongeBob, and Super Mario—which may carry a risk of intellectual property (IP) infringement. This concern was highlighted in June when Disney and Universal filed a lawsuit against the AI firm Midjourney over AI-generated imagery.

Users should be aware that if their videos are found to infringe on copyright, the content could be removed from social media platforms. Furthermore, if a user is deemed to have contributed to the infringement, they could face liability under copyright law and potential legal action from the rights holder.

"We try to be very cautious regarding IP infringement," Coco Mao, co-founder and CEO, explained to TechCrunch. "When you upload certain protected characters, the models we use are designed to reject them by default, preventing the creation of that character. However, sometimes it slips through."

Mao added that the company is open to discussions with major IP holders to secure official licensing for characters.

OpenArt believes its capability to maintain character consistency is a key differentiator. The company argues that while many average video models produce simple, standalone clips that users must manually assemble, OpenArt focuses on ensuring both the visual elements and the narrative remain coherent throughout the video.

"A significant challenge that many AI systems haven't mastered is keeping a character consistent within the same video... If the character changes, it becomes difficult for the audience to become immersed in the story," Mao stated.

Looking forward, the company plans to enhance the one-click feature by enabling users to create videos featuring dialogues between two distinct characters. Another item on the roadmap is the development of a dedicated mobile application.

OpenArt operates on a credit-based pricing model. It offers four main plans: a basic plan at $14 per month for 4,000 credits, which includes up to four One-Click stories, 40 videos, 4,000 images, and four characters. An advanced plan costs $30 monthly for 12,000 credits and includes up to 12 One-Click stories. The Infinite plan is $56 per month for 24,000 credits, and there is also a team plan available for $35 per month per member.

To date, OpenArt has secured $5 million in funding from investors like Basis Set Ventures and DCM Ventures. The company also reports positive cash flow and is on a trajectory to achieve an annual revenue run rate exceeding $20 million.