Google courts Hollywood studios to license IP for AI at ~$40M per character
Justgototheeffinmoon · reddit · 2026-08-31
Google executives have approached Disney, Universal, Warner Bros. Discovery and other studios about licensing intellectual property for AI models, the Los Angeles Times reports, though no deals have closed. One source puts the money on the table at roughly $40 million per character on average, with a 100-character package worth multiple billions.
YouTube is separately pitching talent agencies a likeness-detection tool to flag AI-generated content that infringes copyright or alters celebrity faces — with some companies reportedly asked to waive their right to sue Google to participate. No major studio has notified SAG-AFTRA of an AI licensing deal as required by the union contract.
Google has already invested $75 million in A24 and partners with Darren Aronofsky's Primordial Soup. Industry observers are split: some see a genuine 'high road' outreach, while others recall Viacom's $1 billion copyright suit over YouTube, arguing Google's playbook is to grow first and force deals later.
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