{"id":89654,"date":"2026-06-29T17:49:10","date_gmt":"2026-06-29T17:49:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/89654\/"},"modified":"2026-06-29T17:49:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T17:49:10","slug":"a24-responds-to-fan-outrage-over-google-deepmind-deal-we-want-to-dictate-what-tools-get-built-for-artists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/89654\/","title":{"rendered":"A24 Responds to Fan Outrage Over Google DeepMind Deal: “We Want to Dictate What Tools Get Built for Artists”"},"content":{"rendered":"

A24 defends its Google DeepMind AI research partnership, saying it wants to shape tools for artists rather than have them imposed from outside.<\/p>\n

A24 is speaking out about its new research partnership with Google\u2019s DeepMind unit, framing the controversial deal as a necessary move to give artists a voice in how AI tools get developed for the film industry.<\/p>\n

The independent studio faced swift backlash from fans after news of the partnership broke earlier this week, with critics flooding A24\u2019s social media accounts to accuse the company of betraying its audience. In response, A24 communications rep Sophia Shin issued a statement that was first reported by Wired.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a research partnership,\u201d Shin said. \u201cWe\u2019re working side-by-side with DeepMind\u2019s researchers to learn, iterate, and build, having an active hand in shaping new tools and workflows.\u201d<\/p>\n

The statement went on to address the studio\u2019s relationship with its fanbase directly: \u201cOur relationship with our audience is something we don\u2019t take for granted. 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\u2019d rather have a seat at the table than on the sidelines.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Backrooms \/ Photo Credits: A24<\/p>\n

What the A24 and Google DeepMind Deal Actually Involves<\/p>\n

According to the studio, the arrangement gives A24 and its tech division, A24 Labs, access to DeepMind\u2019s research and infrastructure. In turn, DeepMind researchers will collaborate with the studio to develop new workflows and explore what kinds of tools filmmakers might actually want. Crucially, the deal does not grant Google access to A24\u2019s content library or its data, and there is no requirement for filmmakers to use any of the tools that come out of the collaboration.<\/p>\n

Demis Hassabis, DeepMind\u2019s CEO and co-founder, addressed the partnership in a blog post this week, saying the company believes \u201cthe best way to develop tools that empower artists is to work directly with them.\u201d He added that by working with filmmakers and studios like A24 from the start, DeepMind aims to build AI features that support \u201cauthentic, meaningful storytelling\u201d in service of artists\u2019 creative visions.<\/p>\n

\"\"Backrooms \/ Photo Credits: A24<\/p>\n

Despite A24\u2019s framing, the announcement did not land well with a significant portion of the studio\u2019s audience. On Instagram, one commenter on a post promoting the upcoming A24 film The Debut wrote: \u201cWhat the hell is up with the AI collaboration? Do you know your fanbase?\u201d On X, another user described the deal as exhibiting \u201crancid\u201d behavior.<\/p>\n

A24 has long cultivated a devoted following by championing bold, filmmaker-driven projects and positioning itself as an alternative to mainstream studio filmmaking. That reputation made the AI news feel like a particular betrayal to some fans, even with the studio\u2019s assurances about artist control.<\/p>\n

\"\"Backrooms \/ Photo Credits: A24<\/p>\n

Hollywood\u2019s Complicated Relationship With AI Continues<\/p>\n

The A24 deal is just the latest example of a Hollywood studio wading into AI territory as the industry scrambles to figure out how to engage with the technology without alienating creators, audiences, or regulators.<\/p>\n

Disney struck a short-lived deal with OpenAI to license its suite of characters, even as it simultaneously sued AI companies including MiniMax and Midjourney for copyright infringement. Lionsgate expanded its partnership with AI firm Runway this month to develop new franchises and produce AI-generated shows drawing from its existing IP. Netflix, meanwhile, acquired Ben Affleck\u2019s AI startup InterPositive earlier this year, a company aimed at building tools for filmmakers.<\/p>\n

Each of these deals has sparked its own debate about where the line is between embracing useful technology and undermining the human artistry that defines the medium.<\/p>\n

\"\"Backrooms \/ Photo Credits: A24<\/p>\n

Some A24 Filmmakers Have Been Openly Critical of AI<\/p>\n

The partnership also puts A24 in an awkward position with some of its own filmmakers, several of whom have been among the most vocal critics of generative AI in the industry.<\/p>\n

Kane Parsons, director of the upcoming A24 film Backrooms, called generative AI \u201ca symptom of broader cultural and economic rot\u201d in a recent interview with the Australian. While he acknowledged there may be limited use cases in VFX-related work, he was blunt about his personal stance: \u201cIf I could snap my fingers and make generative AI disappear forever, I probably would. Creatively, I get no enjoyment from using those tools. It defeats the purpose entirely for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

The directors of Heretic, Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, took a different kind of stand by including a disclaimer in their A24-distributed film\u2019s credits stating that \u201cno generative AI was used in the making of this film.\u201d Beck told Variety at the time that A24 had no issue with the decision, and used the moment to speak more broadly about the stakes involved.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are in a time where I feel like creatively we\u2019re in one of the big ethical battles, and the race is already ahead of us,\u201d Beck said. \u201cThe importance is to have these conversations before they force things in, just because it makes sense from a corporate structure. It\u2019s incredibly dangerous. If there\u2019s not people to throttle it, we\u2019re going to find ourselves in five to ten years in a very dangerous situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whether A24\u2019s argument that engagement beats avoidance will satisfy its critics remains to be seen. But the studio has made its position clear: it would rather be in the room shaping what AI looks like for filmmakers than watch those decisions get made without it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A24 defends its Google DeepMind AI research partnership, saying it wants to shape tools for artists rather than…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":89655,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[44199,47462,45023,5044,132,7543,47463,35255,47464,966],"class_list":["post-89654","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-google","tag-a24","tag-a24-labs","tag-ai-in-hollywood","tag-deepmind","tag-google","tag-google-deepmind","tag-heretic","tag-kane-parsons","tag-lionsgate","tag-netflix"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89654","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=89654"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89654\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/89655"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=89654"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=89654"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=89654"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}