The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences issued new rules on Friday, making it clear that acting and screenwriting work must be done by humans, not artificial intelligence, to be eligible to compete for the film industry's highest honor, the Oscars. The changes will apply to submissions for the next Academy Awards, scheduled for March 2027.
Generative AI technology has caused widespread concern in the film and television industry, with practitioners worried that studios will use the technology to replace human workers to reduce costs. The debut of an AI-generated "actress" named Tilly Norwood last year, whose producers claimed to have attracted the interest of multiple studio executives, further fueled industry concerns and sparked a backlash from the Screen Actors Guild.
Under new rules issued by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, filmmakers can use AI tools, but "synthetic" actors like Norwood will not be eligible for Oscars. The agency said in a statement that scripts must be "human creations" to be considered for selection. The new rules also provide that the Academy may request additional information to verify that a submitted work was actually created by a human.
This rule adjustment marks a clear definition of the scope of application of artificial intelligence technology in the film industry and aims to protect human creativity and performance value in traditional film art. With the rapid development of AI technology in the field of content creation, Oscar organizers have sent a clear signal to the industry through this move, that is, human artistic contribution remains an irreplaceable core criterion in the selection of the most prestigious film awards.