This week, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences published new rules for the Oscars. As part of this announcement, the Academy confirmed that AI isn’t barred from being nominated or winning an Oscar.
AI in film
There have been a lot of concerns raised about the use of AI in filmmaking. AI was also one of the main reasons for the strikes that hit the film industry in 2023. Writers were concerned about AI-generated scripts, and actors were worried that they would be replaced by AI-generated characters.
Additionally, there are also a lot of new AI-powered tools that are used in post-production to edit and color grade a movie. Adrian Brody won the Best Actor Oscar this year for his role in “The Brutalist” (2024). However, it was revealed that AI had been used to improve his Hungarian accent.
What has the Academy said?
The Academy issued a press release at the start of this week. It stated, “With regard to Generative Artificial Intelligence and other digital tools used in the making of the film, the tools neither help nor harm the chances of achieving a nomination”. However, there was a caveat that said, “The Academy and each branch will 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 issued some other new rules alongside the clarification on AI. One new requirement that raised a few eyebrows related to the watching of films. The Academy stated, “In a procedural change, Academy members must now watch all nominated films in each category to be eligible to vote in the final round for the Oscars”. This also implies that in the past, members had been voting for films that they hadn’t even seen.
What we think
Videomaker’s news posts over the past couple of years show that AI is a hot topic. The quality of the output from generative AI is advancing at a rapid pace. Understandably, many professionals in the film industry are concerned as to what this means for their futures. Additionally, the software programs used to edit video and audio are increasingly making use of new AI-powered tools. A complete ban on AI in Oscar-nominated films would have potentially precluded the use of these post-production tools.
In its statement, the Academy has clearly tried to put emphasis on the human element of the filmmaking process, However, the AI Pandora’s nox is now fully open.
Image courtesy: ABC
