Oscars block AI-generated acting and writing from winning awards

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences updated rules for the 99th Academy Awards on Friday, clarifying that acting and writing produced by AI will not qualify for Oscars.

The Academy said that “only roles credited in the film’s legal billing and demonstrably performed by humans with their consent” will be eligible for nomination. Similarly, only “human-authored” screenplays will be considered in either Writing category.

Additionally, the Academy “reserves the right to request more information about the nature of the use and human authorship.”

The requirements are a "substantive" rules change, and it’s new for the Academy to have to specify that only humans can win its awards.

Last year, the organization took a neutral stance on AI, simply saying that generative tools will neither “help nor harm the chances of achieving a nomination.” This is still in the rules, meaning that AI tools may be used in production, but requirements around human authorship are much tougher, making it impossible for purely AI-generated movies or scripts to compete.

Artificial intelligence is gaining popularity in movie-making, often in unpredictable forms. In April, the late American actor Val Kilmer was resurrected in the upcoming As Deep as the Grave movie using AI, sparking backlash online.

Dutch filmmaker Eline van der Velden created an entire fake AI actor, Tilly Norwood, designed for Hollywood. Norwood, created to "become a global superstar", recently released a new music video, highlighting what the future of AI entertainment might look like.

But for Hollywood, that future is not one it’s ready to embrace. In 2023, the Writers Guild of America (WGA), representing Hollywood screenwriters, went on strike over a labor dispute. One of the key demands was protection from AI, as they claimed that the use of generative AI can threaten the entire industry.

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