When most people think of A24, they probably think of the studio behind quirky, often bizarre films that have become especially popular with millennials. Whether you love its movies or find them a little too weird, there’s no denying that A24 has built a reputation for taking creative risks. Now, the studio is teaming up with Google DeepMind in a partnership that could influence how artificial intelligence is used in filmmaking for years to come.
Google DeepMind announced a new research collaboration with A24 that aims to bring filmmakers and AI researchers together to develop new creative workflows and production techniques. Unlike many AI initiatives that are unveiled after the technology has already been built, Google says this effort will involve creators directly in the development process.
The partnership establishes an ongoing research and development relationship between the two companies. According to Google, A24 filmmakers will work alongside DeepMind researchers to help shape future tools and provide feedback on how emerging technologies can support creative work rather than disrupt it.
Google also revealed that it has made an investment in A24. Apparently, it is worth about $75 million. Not chump change.
“We believe the best way to develop tools that empower artists is to work directly with them,” said Demis Hassabis, co-founder and CEO of Google DeepMind. “By collaborating with filmmakers and industry leaders like A24 from the beginning, we can build new AI features to support artists in authentic, meaningful storytelling that helps enable their creative vision.”
While the announcement sounds significant, it is notably light on specifics. Neither company disclosed which technologies are being developed, which filmmakers are participating, or what the first projects will look like. Instead, both organizations described the partnership as a long-term research effort that will evolve over time.
That lack of detail makes it difficult to know whether this collaboration will ultimately produce practical filmmaking tools, experimental creative projects, or something else entirely. Still, the involvement of A24 gives the initiative credibility within an entertainment industry that remains divided over AI’s role in creative work.
For A24, the partnership may be met with both excitement and skepticism. The studio has built a loyal following by backing unusual films that often feel refreshingly different from the formula-driven blockbusters dominating theaters. Many moviegoers will likely welcome experimentation with new technology, but others may worry that bringing AI deeper into the filmmaking process risks steering the industry toward the sort of AI-generated slop that has already flooded social media, image-sharing sites, and parts of the web.
Google insists the goal is to help artists rather than replace them, and involving filmmakers early in the development process is certainly a better approach than building tools in isolation. Even so, some creative professionals remain concerned that once AI becomes embedded in production workflows, the pressure to automate more and more of the creative process could eventually follow.
Of course, the opposite outcome is also possible. If filmmakers remain firmly in control, AI could become just another tool in the creative toolbox, similar to how digital cameras, computer-generated effects, and modern editing software were once viewed with suspicion before becoming standard parts of filmmaking.
For Google, the deal appears to be part of a broader effort to convince artists and creators that AI can be developed alongside them rather than imposed upon them. For A24, it offers an opportunity to influence technologies that may eventually become commonplace across Hollywood.
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