Every Oscar season, Hollywood celebrates “human artistry” while quietly embracing all kinds of technology to ease the fear of deadlines. This year, artificial intelligence (AI) has arrived as a new member of the crew. You don’t need a trailer and you won’t complain about the hummus at Craft Services. The only catch? No one wants that to walk the red carpet.
Academy neutrality is by choice
In a report in The Anclarer, Eric Barmack argues that the Academy has deliberately chosen an agnostic policy, saying that generative AI and other digital tools “will neither help nor hurt” a film’s chances of winning an Oscar, and that each branch will judge films based on “the extent to which humans were at the center of their creation.” (Same language is also included in the Academy’s own rules update.)
Barmack noted that productions are not forced to disclose their AI workflows, and there is a tension where silence becomes the de facto policy. Films can win nominations without voters being asked to consider machine support. Your campaign will determine what you volunteer for. It means “don’t ask, don’t tell.”
The most uncontroversial AI is dialogue cleanup, automatic sound balance, stabilization, and other post-production (or “post”) efficiencies that save time without changing intent.
It’s AI as productivity. Less machine learning tools and more output are used to replace faces, modify facial performance, and prevent aging within an artist-driven workflow. This is notable because “AI in movies” often means machine learning in the pipeline that silently assists human iterations.
Best (unless): Fine-tuning performance using AI
“The Brutalist” became a flashpoint after the film’s editors pointed out that AI voice technology was used to tweak the Hungarian pronunciation in post. The filmmakers emphasized that this is not a complete replacement for performance. This example is notable because when AI influences vocal or facial performance, audiences and voters begin to ask who created the results.
Advertisement: SCROLL TO CONTINUE
“Emilia Perez” is another example, with awards season coverage describing AI blending vocals to extend the performer’s singing range. The use of AI enhancements is in the same moral realm as self-tuning and is accepted by many, but caution should be exercised in disclosing it.
We want to be your favorite news source.
Add us to your preferred sources list to see our news, data, and interviews in your feed. thank you!
Worst: Generated AI that reads like a shortcut.
Marvel’s “Secret Invasion” sparked a backlash over its AI-generated opening credits, with critics interpreting it more as artist automation than a creative necessity. This criticism highlighted the reputational risk. Viewers may tolerate invisible AI, but they respond quickly to “AI aesthetics.”
The indie horror film “Late Night With the Devil” also came under fire after it was reported that it contained AI-generated images, prompting the filmmakers to provide an explanation. Even limited generated images can make headline news.
The ethical third rail: Synthetic speech in nonfiction.
Anthony Bourdain’s documentary Roadrunner drew criticism after it was revealed that AI recreated several lines of Bourdain’s voice, raising questions about consent and viewer trust. Since documentaries are promoted as authentic, synthetic audio can undermine their credibility.
Will the Oscars telecast include AI applications?
There is no public indication that generative AI will be aired on this show. But it’s hard to imagine modern live broadcasting without machine learning in the plumbing, especially when it comes to accessibility and rapid clip delivery.
The Academy is highlighting live captioning, live audio description and ASL live streams on YouTube for the Oscars. And the captioning industry itself is evolving from purely human shorthand techniques to advanced AI supported by human input. So even if broadcast television never says “AI,” there’s a good chance that the technology is already helping viewers experience the show, in the least glamorous way imaginable.
For now, the Academy’s stance makes AI Hollywood’s newest open secret. Everywhere in the workflow, nowhere in the speech. The best use so far puts humans at the center and technology in the toolbox. The worst use is to treat creativity like a cost center or trust like an optional feature.
If AI were to win anything this year, it would be Best Support Tool. Always there, never thanked, never invited to the after party.
