Oscars Ban AI in Acting and Screenwriting Categories

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The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has implemented stringent new rules to curb the rising influence of artificial intelligence (AI) on the Oscar stage, mandating that human creativity remain at the core of performances and screenplays eligible for its prestigious awards. The landmark announcement, made Friday, underscores a definitive stance against AI-generated content displacing human artistic contribution.

Under the updated guidelines, performances vying for an Oscar must be “directly performed by a human,” explicitly disqualifying digitally created actors or AI-generated characters from consideration. Similarly, screenplays must be “written by a human,” rendering AI-created stories or dialogue ineligible for both original and adapted screenplay categories.

The Academy’s move comes amid escalating debate within the film industry regarding AI’s role, particularly fueled by recent initiatives such as a plan to feature a digital version of the late actor Val Kilmer in a new film, and actor-comedian Eline van der Velden’s creation of an entirely “fake” AI actor. These new regulations aim to prevent such artificial creations from competing with human talent.

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However, the Academy has not imposed a blanket ban on AI’s use across all aspects of filmmaking. AI tools utilized in visual effects or editing will not impede a film’s nomination prospects. The Academy clarified that such technological aids will neither enhance nor diminish a film’s chances, emphasizing that each branch will assess “how active human creativity was at the heart of the creative work.”

The Academy also warned that it reserves the right to request comprehensive information on a film’s production process and the depth of human contribution if questions arise regarding AI usage. While computer-generated imagery (CGI) has been an integral part of filmmaking since the 1990s, the Academy distinguishes it as a laborious process directly guided by human artists.