{
  "id": 4625489,
  "title": "Sources: Google approached Disney, Universal, and other studios to license characters and films for its AI tools, but legal and union concerns stalled deals (Wendy Lee/Los Angeles Times)",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/sources-google-approached-disney-universal-and-other-studios-to",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-08-31T10:30:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Techmeme",
    "slug": "techmeme",
    "url": "https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2026-08-31/how-google-is-courting-hollywood-to-use-its-ai-tools"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Google approached several major studios, including Disney and Universal, to license characters and films for use in its AI tools. However, the talks stalled due to concerns over legal and union issues. According to the Los Angeles Times, Google was seeking to license film libraries and characters from studios such as Disney, Universal, and Warner Bros. Discovery.\n\nThe licensing efforts were aimed at enhancing Google's AI capabilities, but the concerns raised by the studios and unions appear to have put the plans on hold. No further details on the proposed licensing deals or the specific concerns raised were disclosed.\n\nThere was no additional information on the current status of Google's AI tool development or its plans for character and film licensing.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Hindustan Times",
        "title": "Google defends Vizag AI Hub amid environment concerns",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/google-defends-vizag-ai-hub-amid-environment-concerns",
        "published": "2026-08-31T02:54:20.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}