The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has updated its rules for the next Oscars, allowing films that use generative AI to still be eligible for awards. AI use won’t help or hurt a movie’s chances of being nominated, but the Academy will consider how much human creativity was involved when deciding winners. This move follows backlash against Oscar-nominated films that used AI and reflects growing use of the technology in filmmaking. While AI is becoming more accepted for editing or matching artistic styles, it’s still a controversial topic in the industry.
Many actors and writers remain strongly against AI, especially after it was a key issue in the 2023 Hollywood strikes. Unions pushed for protections in their contracts to stop studios from using tools like ChatGPT to replace human writers. Critics argue AI lacks the emotional depth needed to create award-worthy films. Since the Academy hasn’t banned AI, it will be up to voters to judge how much human input is enough. Alongside the AI rules, the Academy also announced two changes: voters must now watch all films in a category before voting, and a new award will recognize excellence in casting.