The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has updated its rules to clarify that Oscars rules exclude artificial intelligence (AI) actors and writing from award eligibility. This change reflects the growing use of AI technology in the film industry and aims to ensure that only human contributions are recognized in acting and writing categories.
Oscars rules exclude: what to know
New Eligibility Requirements for AI in Films
On Friday, the Academy issued new guidelines specifying that only acting “demonstrably performed by humans” and writing “must be human-authored” to qualify for an Oscar nomination. This marks a substantive change in the Oscars’ eligibility rules, emphasizing the importance of human creativity in these key areas.
The updated rules come amid increasing examples of AI being used to replicate or replace human work in films. For instance, the late actor Val Kilmer is set to be recreated using AI technology for a lead role in an upcoming movie. Additionally, a London-based actor and comedian created a fully AI-generated actor to explore the potential of AI in entertainment.
Impact on Filmmaking and AI Use
While the Academy has excluded AI-generated acting and writing from award consideration, it has not banned the use of AI tools in other aspects of filmmaking. The organization stated that AI tools used outside of acting and writing “neither help nor harm the chances of achieving a nomination.”
The Academy will continue to evaluate films based on the degree of human involvement in creative authorship. If there are questions about the use of generative AI, the Academy reserves the right to request additional information to verify human authorship.
Context of AI in Hollywood
AI technology has raised concerns in Hollywood, especially regarding copyright and creative rights. The use of AI to write scripts was a significant issue during the Hollywood writers’ strike two years ago. Moreover, lawsuits have been filed by studios, actors, and authors against AI companies for copyright infringement.
Technology has long been part of filmmaking, with computer-generated imagery (CGI) widely used since the 1990s. However, unlike CGI, which is manually created by humans, AI tools often automate creative processes through simple prompts, prompting the Academy to clarify its stance on AI-generated work.