New Oscars rules: No AI actors, human-written scripts only - dw.com

AI performers will not qualify for Oscars under new academy rules that also overhaul the international film category and acting nominations. https://p.dw.com/p/5D9WFAccording to the academy's latest rules, screenplays must be entirely human-authored Image: Matt Sayles/AP Photo/picture allianceActors created with artificial intelligence will not be eligible for an Oscar, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said on Friday, introducing new rules for the awards. The governing body of the Academy Awards clarified that acting performances and screenplays must be created by humans, while allowing the use of artificial intelligence tools. Under the updated guidelines, only roles "demonstrably performed by humans with their consent" will be eligible for acting awards, effectively excluding AI-generated performers, according to the academy. The new rules would exclude AI-generated "actress" Tilly ​Norwood, who debuted last year. "Humans have to be at the center of the creative process," said academy president Lynette Howell Taylor. "As AI continues to evolve, our conversations around AI will do so along with that. But for the academy, we are always going to put human authorship at the center of our awards eligibility process." The decision follows the unveiling of an AI-generated version of Val Kilmer, a year after his death. A digital, youthful Kilmer appeared in the trailer for "As Deep as the Grave," recreated using archival footage with his family's support. According to the academy, screenplays must be entirely "human-authored to be eligible." The board said AI tools would "neither help nor harm" a film's chances, but emphasized that human creative authorship must remain central. The move comes amid growing industry concern over generative AI, which was a key issue during the 2023 Hollywood labor strikes. The academy said it may request additional information from filmmakers to verify if the submissions were created by humans. Announcing significant changes for the international feature category, the academy said films can now qualify not only through national submissions but also by winning top awards at major festivals, including Cannes, Berlin, Busan, Venice or Toronto, the Academy said. Until this year, only films chosen by official national bodies could be submitted, a problem for critical works from authoritarian states. From now on and as per the new rule, the film will be deemed the nominee and not its country, the academy announced. The director of the film will be "listed on the statuette plaque" along with the country, if applicable. In acting categories, performers will now be eligible for multiple nominations within the same category for different roles. Earlier, an actor could not receive multiple nominations in a single category for roles in different films, although this was allowed for other Oscar categories. The changes will apply to the 99th Academy Awards, scheduled for March 2027. 10 Oscar winners that made film historyTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video