Oscars Introduce New Rules: No AI Actors or Scripts Can Win Awards

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Addresses AI in the 2027 Oscars

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has taken a significant step by addressing the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in performances and scripts for the 2027 Academy Awards. As part of its annual review of Oscar eligibility rules, the organization has tackled the growing influence of AI in filmmaking.

According to the new rules, "the tools neither help nor harm the chances of achieving a nomination." Each branch of the Academy will evaluate the achievements based on the extent to which a human was involved in the creative process when deciding which movies to award. However, the Academy reserves the right to request more information from filmmakers regarding the nature of AI usage and the concept of "human authorship."

Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor emphasized that "humans have to be at the center of the creative process." She added, "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."

When it comes to performance eligibility, only roles "demonstrably performed by humans with their consent" will be considered. The organization has not yet commented on whether the upcoming AI-generated Val Kilmer performance would be eligible. A spokesperson stated, "We will review that on a case-by-case basis. We, like everybody in our industry and world, we will be assessing this every year."

Screenplay Categories and New Nominations

There is less ambiguity in the screenplay categories, where the rules state that "screenplays must be human-authored to be eligible." This ensures that AI-generated screenplays cannot compete for the prestigious awards.

In another notable change, actors may now be nominated for multiple performances in the same category. For decades, it was not possible for an actor to be nominated twice for the same acting category. This shift reflects a broader recognition of an actor's versatility and range.

Additionally, the Academy revised its longstanding policy regarding the Best International Feature category. Previously, only one film per country or region could be considered, as determined by a local academy-approved selection committee. From now on, a non-English language film can qualify by winning the top prize at one of several major film festivals, including Berlin, Busan, Cannes, Sundance, Toronto, and Venice. A single country can now also have more than one film nominated in the category, and all international films will be credited as the nominee, not the country or region.

Industry Tensions and Concerns Over AI

The Academy’s changes come amid growing industry tensions, particularly concerning the existential threat that AI poses. More and more A-listers are speaking out about the potential impact of AI, especially with AI-generated actors making headlines.

These concerns coincide with recent comments made by Evangeline Lilly, who criticized Disney for firing Marvel employees, largely from the visual development team, as part of company-wide layoffs. This has led to speculation that the company may be shifting towards using AI for its special effects, although no official announcement has been made.

Lilly, who starred in Marvel’s Ant-Man films and appeared in Avengers: Endgame, took to Instagram to accuse Disney of turning its back on the people who built the MCU’s success. She reached out to her friend Andy Park, who was the genius behind creating the original Wasp super-suit and concept drawings, and asked if the layoffs were true. He confirmed that they were.

She continued, "I can’t quite believe that… that Disney has let go of the artists who brought the Marvel Universe to life through their genius and that the people who invented these characters and who designed them are being replaced by AI. AI that will take their designs and take what they created and use it to create iterations of that. I am so sorry, Andy. I am so sorry to every one of the artists who were let go."

Lilly wrote in her Instagram caption, "Disney, SHAME ON YOU for turning your back on the people who built the power you are now using to throw them away," before questioning the laws surrounding replacing human workers with AI. "Where are the laws that REMOVE all human art from the AI bank?!" she asked. "Why do they get to steal our brilliance and use it to make executives rich while the artists responsible for feeding their robots go hungry?? Disgusting. California lawmakers…where are you?!?!?"

Upcoming Events and Future Outlook

The 99th Oscars will be held on Sunday, 14 March 2027. As the film industry continues to navigate the challenges and opportunities presented by AI, the Academy's decisions will play a crucial role in shaping the future of cinematic storytelling and artistic recognition.