The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has clarified its position on artificial intelligence (AI) and the Oscars. Going forward, only acting and writing by humans will be deemed eligible for nomination.
What has the Academy said?
The Academy published new rules on Oscar eligibility last week. In relation to generative AI, the rules state that “the tools neither help nor harm the chances of achieving a nomination.” The Academy will also “judge the achievement, taking into account the degree to which a human was at the heart of the creative authorship when choosing which movie to award.”
The Academy may also reach out to filmmakers to clarify the use of AI and “human authorship” when considering whether films are eligible for an Oscar.
What does this mean for AI?
The Academy’s new rules make it clear that Oscars for acting will only be awarded where a role is “demonstrably performed by humans.” This could allow a nomination for a performance like that of Andy Serkis as Gollum in “Lord of The Rings,” for example. However, it’s unclear what this means for the upcoming movie “As Deep As The Grave.” This uses an entirely AI recreation of Val Kilmer, made after the actor had died. The Academy has also confirmed that writing “must be human-authored” for a screenplay to be eligible for an Oscar.
Creative process
Lynette Howell Taylor, President of the Academy, said, “Humans have to be at the center of the creative process. 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.” Taylor also confirmed that roles will be reviewed “on a case-by-case basis.” She added, “We, like everyone on our industry and world, will be assessing this every year.”
What we think
The Oscars have always been awards that recognize human achievement. To give an award to the output of a computer would diminish the prestige of the Academy and the Oscars. However, it’s clear that there are still gray areas around the level of human involvement with AI-assisted works. The Academy will need to be more forensic in its analysis of nominees to determine whether they meet the new rules. It may also face pressure from movie studios that want their latest blockbusters to be considered for Oscars. Ultimately, as concerns grow about the use of AI in movies, it’s good to see the Academy clarifying its position.
