Google seeks licensing deals with major Hollywood studios for AI training

Google has begun discreet discussions with Disney, Universal, Warner Bros. Discovery and other major studios about licensing their character catalogs and film archives for inclusion in the tech giant's AI training models. Sources say the negotiations have not produced any deals so far, largely because of the intricate legal landscape surrounding AI and concerns from Hollywood unions about job security and copyright protection.

Studios are under pressure to adopt AI to reduce production expenses, yet they remain wary of unauthorized use of their content. Google is attempting to reshape its image by funding short films that highlight AI's potential benefits and by investing $75 million in A24, a move meant to gain credibility within the industry. Partnerships such as the one with Darren Aronofsky’s Primordial Soup aim to gather creative feedback for better AI tools, while YouTube is also exploring likeness-detection technology that could flag AI-generated videos. Despite these efforts, several studios have previously sued AI firms over copyright infringement, and no major studio has yet notified SAG-AFTRA of any licensing arrangement.