AI
Google DeepMind invests $75M in A24 for AI filmmaking tools
The search giant is backing the indie film studio in a multiyear research partnership aimed at developing new movie production and distribution technologies.
The Verge
Google DeepMind is partnering with A24 on a research collaboration to develop AI-powered film production tools. The tech giant is investing approximately $75 million in the indie film studio as part of the deal—marking Google's first equity stake in a film studio.
A Creator-First Approach#
The partnership aims to address what both companies see as a gap between advanced technology and filmmaking practice. Google's announcement emphasized that "this ensures the tools of the future are shaped by the creators who use them," framing the deal as collaborative rather than extractive. A24 partner Scott Belsky (formerly Adobe's chief strategy officer) told The Wall Street Journal that the tools "won't look anything like the prompted generation type of AI that people feel uncomfortable with," positioning them instead as systems that "preserve creative control and support risk-taking."
Multiyear, Non-Exclusive Deal#
Google and A24 plan to work across "multiple projects over time," though no specific films have been announced. The partnership is explicitly non-exclusive and doesn't grant Google access to A24's film or television library data—a significant constraint that underscores concerns about data use in entertainment.
Industry Tensions#
The collaboration arrives amid contentious battles between studios and AI companies. Disney, Universal, and Warner Bros have all pursued aggressive legal action against generative AI firms over copyright allegations. The announcement has already drawn skepticism from filmmakers in A24's roster: director Kane Parsons recently told The Australian that generative AI feels like "a symptom of a broader cultural and economic rot" and expressed no enthusiasm for using it on projects.
The deal signals a shift in how major tech companies approach creative industries—moving toward partnership and tool-building rather than licensing-based models—but success will hinge on whether the resulting technologies actually earn filmmaker trust.
