Google DeepMind has announced a $75 million investment in indie film studio A24, forming what it describes as a first-of-its-kind research partnership aimed at developing AI tools for filmmaking. The collaboration will see Google DeepMind build AI creative features with direct input from working filmmakers, while A24 provides artistic feedback and guidance to shape how those tools are developed.
CEO Demis Hassabis said the partnership was premised on the belief that the best AI tools for artists can only be built in close collaboration with them from the outset, rather than imposed on creative industries after the fact. A24, known for producing critically acclaimed films including “Everything Everywhere All At Once” and recent blockbuster “Backrooms,” has worked with major talents including Timothée Chalamet and Anne Hathaway.
The deal positions Google DeepMind at the centre of a growing wave of AI investment in Hollywood. Netflix earlier this year acquired Ben Affleck’s production technology company InterPositive, which develops AI tools for filmmakers, while Amazon’s MGM Studios launched a dedicated AI unit for film and television production in February. The A24 partnership gives Google DeepMind direct access to one of the industry’s most artistically respected studios as the debate over AI’s role in creative production continues to intensify across the entertainment industry.
