A24 is getting into the AI space, signing a joint venture with Google DeepMind.
The film studio and Google AI Lab will develop AI tools together that can be used by filmmakers at the studio and also forwarded to the Google ecosystem. The news was first published by The Wall Street Journal. As part of the deal, DeepMind will invest $75 million in the project.
DeepMind has collaborations with individual filmmakers like Darren Aronofsky, but this is the first known partnership with an entire studio. Google is one of the few tech giants with a video generator, the highly regarded Veo, and the deal will likely get them more into that game
“We believe the best way to develop tools that empower artists is to work directly with them,” Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, said in a statement posted on Google’s website. “By collaborating with filmmakers and industry leaders like A24 from the beginning, we can build new AI features to support artists in telling authentic, meaningful stories that help empower their creative vision.”
Meanwhile, the deal catches A24 where some of its competitors have already arrived, with Netflix and Prime Video developing tools for filmmakers and Lionsgate building models in collaboration with Runway AI, which is pushing startups.
The move is sure to accelerate the emergence of AI in the films and television we watch, while deepening the debate about how or whether directors should use these weighted models as part of their workflow. Some popular authors have decided to reject this position, but a growing group of celebrities seems willing to at least entertain it.
This ad fits A24’s brand as a forward-looking entertainment company, while also interestingly highlighting the biggest theatrical hit in its history, a Ken Parsons film. Back roomswhich was released last month. The film was of course directed by a filmmaker who has honed his craft and built an audience on the Google/YouTube platform, while influencers themselves are expected to use more AI tools in the coming year.
More to come.
