A24 explained its research partnership with Google‘s DeepMind unit as a bid to have “a seat at the table“ in Hollywood’s reckoning with AI after fans pelted the independent studio with criticism for embracing the technology.
“This is a research partnership,” A24 communications rep Sophia Shin said about the deal in a statement first reported by Wired. “We’re working side-by-side with DeepMind’s researchers to learn, iterate, and build, having an active hand in shaping new tools and workflows.”
“Our relationship with our audience is something we don’t take for granted,” the statement continued. “This partnership exists because we want to dictate what tools get built for artists, and so they have a voice in shaping them rather than having tools handed to them. We’d rather have a seat at the table than on the sidelines.”
The partnership, which the studio and Google unveiled on Monday, will give A24 and its tech arm, A24 Labs, access to DeepMind’s research and infrastructure, while the unit’s researchers will work with the studio to build out new workflows and figure out what tools filmmakers may want. The deal does not give Google access to A24’s content library or its data, and there is no mandate for filmmakers to use the tools. A24 fans were not pleased on social media and took to the studio’s Instagram and X posts to leave comments that accused A24 of betraying the audience it serves.
