DeepMind partners with A24 on AI film tools after Google invests $75 million

Google is placing roughly $75 million into independent film studio A24 through its DeepMind AI unit. The outlet reported that the search company has now taken an ownership position in a movie production house for the first time.

DeepMind and A24 aim to develop new movie production technologies. The research effort will target fresh workflows that let directors broaden narrative options in both creation and delivery of features. The tech firm framed the work as an effort at linking frontier systems with tomorrow’s media landscape.

The arrangement will stretch across several initiatives in coming years. The initial reveal named no concrete titles.

The deal is structured as non-exclusive and multiyear. Under its terms the tech company gains no rights to the studio’s archive of motion pictures or series. Those boundaries were outlined by the business daily.

Google emphasizes creator involvement in tool development. “The collaboration pairs a world-leading research lab with the industry’s most filmmaker-forward studio to help artists develop new workflows and techniques,” the company stated in its release. “This ensures the tools of the future are shaped by the creators who use them.”

A24 partner outlines vision for the AI tools. Scott Belsky, an A24 partner and former Adobe chief strategy officer, told the business daily that the planned systems “won’t look anything like the prompted generation type of AI that people feel uncomfortable with.” He added there are better uses that preserve creative control and support risk-taking.

The partnership may draw industry scrutiny over AI practices. DeepMind’s systems draw from material posted openly across the internet. Major players such as Disney, Universal, and Warner Bros have pursued legal action against AI developers for alleged copyright violations. Observers expect the investment to spark debate inside Hollywood, the business daily noted.

A24 plans to involve its roster of artists. The studio intends to bring in talents including Kane Parsons, the YouTube creator and director of The Backrooms. In a conversation with The Australian earlier this month, Parsons said “generative AI feels less like innovation than a symptom of a broader cultural and economic rot” and that he gets “no enjoyment” out of using the technology on any project.