Earlier this week, we learned that A24 partnered with Google’s DeepMind unit. The reactions were… not happy, to say the least. And like many who have let generative AI into their hearts, the film studio has now gone on the defensive over its widely criticized decision.
In a statement to cablingA24 communications representative Sophia Shin highlighted the “research” part of their partnership with Google. “We are working closely with DeepMind researchers to learn, iterate and build, actively participating in setting up new tools and workflows,” he explained. “It’s about learning and helping weak points in behind-the-scenes workflows. (…) It exists because we want to dictate what tools are built for artists, so that they have a say in shaping them rather than being handed tools.
While acknowledging that A24 doesn’t like “any of the current on-screen AI productions in Hollywood,” Shin sees this partnership as a necessary evil. “We prefer to sit at the table than on the sidelines,” he said. The promise of greater artist agency and “a seat at the table” are common shields of genAI users, but it doesn’t seem to be working here. Fans consider this move ironic and a betrayal, given Backrooms director Kane Parsons He recently called technology “cultural and economic rot” and wished he could eliminate it.
Before that, the studio didn’t seem to have much interest in generative AI. In 2024 it arrived under fire for using technology to create posters for Civil war, while months later, his horror movie Heretic It had a disclaimer promising that it was not made with that technology. But Hollywood has become gradually more acceptance of generative AI and its supposed potential for the filmmaking process. In that sense, perhaps it was inevitable that A24 would fall into line.
Want more io9 news? See when to expect the latest Wonder, star warsand trip to the stars releases, what’s next for the DC Universe in film and televisionand everything you need to know about the future of doctor who.
