A24 first faced criticism of artificial intelligence in 2024, when it released AI-generated posters for Civil War, which became the company's most expensive release at the time. Why would a film about photojournalism Use artificially generated images for promotion? Didn't the film have a big enough budget to do without AI marketing? Didn't they learn anything from director Alex Garland's first film, Ex Machina? Others simply hated what they saw on principle.
While this backlash followed shortly after the hostility toward AI during the 2023 writers' and actors' strikes, A24's leadership certainly understood that a similar situation could happen again.
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On Monday, A24 and Google DeepMind announced a partnership in which Google will invest $75 million in research to develop AI workflows for filmmaking. IndieWire attempted to clarify the situation, stating that this is a research partnership only, not a production deal, that it does not include any commitment to producing films or other specific AI projects, and that the models will not be trained using A24's intellectual property.
But, as we later noted in a separate article, access to A24's internal processes is essentially everything. A24's tightly guarded culture is often seen as the driving force behind the company's success and cultural authority. Inviting Google's AI experts to this hallowed ground, which helped propel Barry Jenkins, Ari Aster, Greta Gerwig, Jane Schoenbrun, and now Kayn Parsons to global fame, simply won't sit well with anyone who spent $40 on an A24 candle.
«"Fucking losers. Movie fans, it's time to stop trashing this company mid-production," read one comment on a recent tweet promoting the trailer for A24's "Debut," directed by Jesse Eisenberg, which has absolutely nothing to do with artificial intelligence and certainly doesn't deserve to feature such losers. "You're a laughingstock and a disgrace to filmmaking. Good luck filling those spots," read another.
It's not hard to find angry comments on IndieWire articles when we write about AI, but even we were shocked by some of the hostility we saw toward this news.
«"As you wish, A24 has sold its soul." "NEON was always the real deal." "What a shame. Artificial intelligence cannot and never will create art. The sooner this bubble bursts, the better." "No, A24! You were the chosen one!" "Bye, A24, I don't have the time or energy to defend a pseudo-tech company masquerading as a production company." "I hope you all understand that these negative comments are not just a PR stunt, and that things will calm down with time. We truly hate AI. This is a bad move.".
Actress and director Justine Bateman, who was one of the most vocal online critics of AI during the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike, also launched into an angry tirade following Google DeepMind's announcement.
It's quite disappointing that a company fresh off the box office triumph of Kane Parsons' vehemently anti-AI film, Behind the Scenes, would make such a deal.
All A24 directors should prepare for their films to be altered against their will as part of this deal. Google is a company…
— Justin Bateman (@JustineBateman) June 22, 2026.
Bateman's accusation that the films were "changed against their will" is an unfounded assumption, but it highlights the deep distrust people feel when they hear about the very fact of AI involvement in art in any form.
Earlier this week, A24 issued a statement to Wired confirming that its partnership with Google DeepMind is exploratory in nature and that it will never take its relationships with filmmakers for granted. A24 views this as a way to provide creators with access to a new generation of tools, as it always has, rather than as a dictate to them of what they should create or a change in their work.
«"This is a research partnership. We work side by side with DeepMind researchers to learn, improve, and create, actively participating in the shaping of new tools and workflows. We value our relationship with the audience. This partnership exists because we want to shape the tools being created for artists, so they have a voice in their creation, rather than having tools handed to them on a platter. We prefer to be involved in the process rather than stand on the sidelines.".
The answer will be that any AI can or should be considered theft and a slippery slope to job loss. Others pointed to Parsons' recent comments on AI, including his description of the "Behind the Scenes" director as "creative corruption" and his inherently less interest in what's created with it.
Complicating matters, this A24 drama is unfolding against the backdrop of Amazon MGM's abandonment of the rights to Artificial, Luca Guadagnino's nearly completed new Social Network-style film about Sam Altman's OpenAI, which A24 is no longer distributing. This has raised larger questions about the role of technology in any Hollywood studio, and for a while, it seemed unlikely A24 would partner with Disney or Lionsgate to train models for Runway using its IP.
History shows that A24 can easily navigate such controversies. The company just achieved its biggest box office ever with "Behind the Scenes," and its slate includes Chris Hansen's "To Catch a Predator," a primetime feature starring Robert Pattinson, Garland's "The Ring of the Ancients," a biopic about Anthony Bourdain, and the premiere today of Olivia Wilde's "The Invitation," which became a sensation at Sundance.
But just ask MUBI about how disputes over financing and investment can drag on for long periods of time and forever alter the company's perception among some of its most ardent fans. A24 wouldn't have any trouble acquiring or developing films with interesting directors because of this, but suddenly they begin to seem much less appealing.