A24 defends AI partnership with Google DeepMind: ‘We’d rather have a seat at the table than on the sidelines’ | Today’s news
Indie film studio A24 says its new partnership with Google DeepMind is meant to empower artists with AI tools — not replace them.
A24 defends its AI partnership with Google
The deal, announced this week, pairs A24 and its technology arm, A24 Labs, with DeepMind researchers to experiment with new production workflows and filmmaking tools. A24 will gain access to DeepMind’s research and infrastructure, while the studio’s directors, writers and crew will show where AI could really help on set and behind the scenes.
Reports say Google is investing about $75 million, a rare move for a tech giant to a major studio. However, both sides stress that the deal does not give Google the rights to A24’s film and TV catalog, nor does it force filmmakers to use artificial intelligence.
“This is a research partnership,” A24 spokeswoman Sophia Shin told Wired. “We work side by side with DeepMind researchers to learn, iterate and build – we have an active hand in shaping new tools and workflows.” Shin added that the studio sees the deal as a way for artists to have a say in what they build. “We’d rather have a seat at the table than on the sidelines,” she said.
Still, the announcement struck a chord with A24’s fan base. Social media filled with angry comments, calls for boycotts and conversations about whether a company known for promoting independent creativity should work with a leading AI lab.
Longtime supporters posted their disappointment on Instagram, X, and fan forums; others warned that the move risks normalizing artificial intelligence in an industry already concerned about displaced jobs and diluted creative credits.
These concerns are variable across the industry: writers, actors, and crew worry that AI could disrupt artwork or replicate work without proper consent. Critics say A24’s tie-up with DeepMind could lend credibility to technologies many creators distrust. Supporters argue that involvement allows filmmakers to help guide how AI is developed and used.
A24 insists the collaboration is aimed at fixing production pain points – scheduling, post-production bottlenecks and other behind-the-scenes tasks – not producing AI-generated films or mining the studio’s back catalogue. The company says it doesn’t currently support many of the AI-driven outputs already making the rounds in Hollywood.
As the debate over artificial intelligence in entertainment heats up, A24 and DeepMind’s partnership has become a central example of the uneasy dance between Silicon Valley and Hollywood. Both sides will be watching to see if this collaboration protects — or removes — creative control.
