A24 Responds To Its AI Deal Backlash

Distributor A24 came under major fire from its fanbase in recent days following the announcement earlier this week of a $75 million research partnership with Google DeepMind to explore the use of AI for “shaping new tools and workflows”.

At the time, A24 stressed that the new agreement was strictly a research collaboration but that hasn’t stopped a major backlash against them from its cinephile fanbase.

The A24 subreddit has been having a meltdown over the news, and the uproar has gotten so loud that a spokesperson has now discussed the deal in an effort to allay fans. Sophia Shin, who handles communications at A24, tells Wired:

“Our relationship with our audience is something we don’t 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’d rather have a seat at the table than on the sidelines.

Truth is we don’t necessarily love any of the current AI outputs onscreen in Hollywood. I don’t even know if ultimately we’d create tech on that front. This partnership is about learning and helping pain points in workflows behind the scenes more than anything else.”

Needless to say, the response to the statement so far hasn’t been great. A24 has notably and quite carefully cultivated a brand identity built on authenticity and being cutting-edge. This action has been seen as something of a betrayal of that mandate.

A24 is coming off its biggest box office success to date with “Backrooms” and is currently shooting its massive film adaptation of the video game “Elden Ring”.

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