I have seen Google’s AI version of The Wizard of Oz, and I’m still in shock

The tech geek in me has a lot to say, but the film geek in me has even more to say.

Apr 9, 2025 - 14:19
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I have seen Google’s AI version of The Wizard of Oz, and I’m still in shock
The Wizard of Oz at Sphere
Credit: Google

Over the past two years, Google has been working on using generative AI to upscale and augment The Wizard of Oz, the beloved 1939 film that has been a touchstone for generations. Google DeepMind and Google Cloud — along with Warner Bros. Discovery and Magnopus — are doing this work to show the movie in its entirety at Sphere, the iconic spherical theater in Las Vegas.

Today, I was in the audience to see the first look at what Oz will be like there when it starts playing on August 28, 2025. The event helped kick off Google Cloud Next 2025, which Google kindly invited me to.