Oscars Ban AI-Generated Actors and Scripts for Eligibility
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has officially updated its guidelines for the 99th Academy Awards, establishing strict barriers against the use of generative artificial intelligence in key creative categories. Under the newly approved regulations, projects relying on AI-generated performances or screenplays will no longer qualify for consideration.
The mandate specifies that any acting performance must be demonstrably carried out by a human, with the individual receiving formal credit in the film’s legal billing and providing explicit consent. Similarly, the Academy now requires that all screenplays be “human-authored” to meet eligibility criteria.
New Oversight on AI Usage
To enforce these standards, the Academy has granted itself the authority to demand detailed disclosures regarding the development process of a film. Filmmakers may be required to provide evidence of human authorship and clarify the extent of AI integration in their production.
These policy shifts address several emerging challenges within the industry, including:
- The rise of AI-driven projects, such as the upcoming film featuring an AI-generated version of Val Kilmer.
- The increasing visibility of virtual performers, like the AI “actress” Tilly Norwood.
- The ongoing tension between rapid advancements in video generation technology and the preservation of traditional creative labor.
The move follows years of intense debate surrounding the role of technology in entertainment, which served as a central point of contention during the 2023 writers’ and actors’ strikes. Beyond Hollywood, the pushback against machine-generated content is growing; several literary organizations have already moved to disqualify works from awards if they are found to utilize generative AI, and publishers have begun withdrawing novels that rely on synthetic text.