Oscars Says AI Actors and Writing Cannot Win Awards

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has issued a clear directive: when it comes to the Oscars, only acting and writing done by humans will be considered for awards. This clarification comes as the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in filmmaking continues to grow. The academy's updated rules specify that only acting "demonstrably performed by humans" and writing "must be human-authored" will be eligible for nominations.

The organization describes this change as "substantive." The need to explicitly state that awards can only go to human actors and writers is a new development for the academy. Recent examples have highlighted the expanding role of AI in film production. Notably, the late actor Val Kilmer is set to be recreated with AI technology for a lead role in an upcoming movie.

Additionally, there have been instances of AI-generated actors and writers being explored for film projects. The use of AI tools was also a contentious issue during the Hollywood writers' strike two years ago. However, the academy has not imposed a broad ban on AI use in films.

The use of AI tools in filmmaking, outside of acting and writing, does not affect a film's chances of receiving a nomination. The academy will evaluate each submission based on the degree of human creative authorship involved. The integration of technology in filmmaking is not new, with computer-generated imagery (CGI) being widely used since the 1990s.

While CGI is generally considered a manual process guided by humans, AI tools are designed to automate tasks through simple prompts. The academy has reserved the right to request more information on the use of generative AI in submissions if questions arise.