A24's Defense of Its Google DeepMind Deal Fails to Sway Fans

Independent film studio A24 announced it had signed a $75 million 'artificial-intelligence research partnership' with Google DeepMind. The fallout was immediate, as the audience of film buffs the company has cultivated over the past fifteen years began mourning its death within 24 hours of the announcement.

Sophia Shin, a communications representative, told Wired, 'This is a research partnership. We’re working side-by-side with DeepMind’s researchers to learn, iterate, and build, having an active hand in shaping new tools and workflows.' She added, '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.' Fans have not been persuaded. In a rare example of online cohesion, almost nobody on the internet, including on the r/A24 subreddit, is buying A24’s excuse.

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