Independent film studio A24 says its new partnership with DeepMind is meant to give artists influence over AI tools — not to replace them.
A24 defends their AI partnership with Google
Announced this week, the deal pairs A24 and its tech arm, A24 Labs, with DeepMind researchers to experiment with new production workflows and filmmaking tools. gets access to DeepMind’s research and infrastructure, while the studio’s directors, writers and crew will point out where AI could actually help on set and behind the scenes.
Reports say Google is investing about $75 million, a rare move for the tech giant into a major studio. But both sides stress the agreement doesn’t give Google rights to A24’s film and TV catalogue, nor does it force filmmakers to use AI.
“This is a research partnership,” A24 spokesperson Sophia Shin told Wired. “We’re working side-by-side with ’s researchers to learn, iterate, and build — having an active hand in shaping new tools and workflows.” Shin added the studio sees the agreement as a way for artists to have a say in what gets built. “We’d rather have a seat at the table than on the sidelines,” she said.
Still, the announcement hit a nerve with A24’s fan base. Social feeds filled with angry comments, calls for boycotts and conversations about whether a company known for championing indie creativity should be partnering with a leading AI lab.
Longtime supporters posted disappointment on , X and fan forums; others warned that the move risks normalizing AI in an industry already anxious about displaced jobs and diluted creative credit.
Those worries are fluid across the industry: writers, actors and crew worry could erode artistic labour or replicate work without proper consent. Critics say A24’s tie to DeepMind could lend credibility to technologies many creators distrust. Supporters counter that being involved lets filmmakers help steer 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 at producing AI-generated movies or mining the studio’s back catalogue. The company says it doesn’t currently back many of the AI-driven outputs already floating around .
As the debate over AI in entertainment heats up, A24 and DeepMind’s partnership has become a focal example of the uneasy dance between Silicon Valley and Hollywood. Both sides will be watching to see whether this collaboration protects creative control — or chips away at it.
