A24's surprise AI tie-up with Google is drawing backlash just as the studio rides high from a major horror hit.
Fans are now questioning whether the indie film company behind Backrooms can maintain its creative identity after a major investment tied to artificial intelligence.
What happened?
Before the controversy, A24 had been celebrating Backrooms, directed by 21-year-old Kane Parsons, after the film earned about $330 million worldwide on a reported $10 million budget.
Parsons, however, has been publicly critical of generative AI. In remarks to Deadline, he said, "We already live in a world where you walk outside and there are billboards and signs that are obvious AI slop." He added, "To me, generative AI feels less like innovation than a symptom of a broader cultural and economic rot."
According to Futurism, citing The Wall Street Journal, Google had committed $75 million to A24 in a research partnership aimed at creating AI tools for film production.
Why does it matter?
The backlash comes as AI remains a sensitive issue in entertainment, especially after labor disputes centered on creative control and job security.
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The tools studios adopt can shape the kinds of films that get made, whose work gets funded, and whether human artists are replaced or supported.
There is also a broader environmental and economic dimension. AI systems can be useful in certain settings, including helping optimize electricity demand, improve grid efficiency, and support cleaner energy planning.
However, large-scale AI also depends on power-hungry data centers that can consume significant amounts of electricity and water, potentially straining local resources and driving up costs for communities if growth outpaces clean energy supply.
Beyond that, there are concerns about misuse, security, and unintended social consequences.
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What are people saying?
Responding to the criticism, A24 characterized the arrangement as limited in scope. Sophia Shin, communications head at A24, told Wired, "This is a research partnership. … We'd rather have a seat at the table than on the sidelines."
Many fans remain unconvinced, and the criticism has continued online.
One X user posted, "Why do artists need a voice in shaping tools they should never have any intention of using?"
In a post circulating on Reddit, one person wrote, "Maybe we just have to accept that the A24 era is over. Indie studios come and go. Like Miramax and New Line Cinema before them, A24 was always destined to be consumed by corporate interest."
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