The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which organizes the Oscars, is trying to avoid awarding awards to AI. The latest list of rules for the 99th Academy Awards, released Friday, includes many aimed at ensuring that humans can meaningfully contribute to the making of movies and win awards.
The new rules state that only “roles that are credited in the film’s legal fee and that are demonstrated to have been performed by a human being with consent” are eligible for the award. This is an issue that recently came to light with the announcement that the estate of actor Val Kilmer has signed a deal with director Corte Voorhees to use generative AI to feature an AI version of Kilmer in his new film As Deep As The Grave. Kilmer was involved in the early stages of film production until his death in 2025.
Screenplays edited or written by AI are also excluded, and the regulations stipulate that the scripts must be written by a human in order to be certified. And the Academy has said it reserves the right to request further information if there is any question about a film’s human authorship.
The Academy and the Western Writers Guild did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the new anti-AI rules. A representative for the actors union SAG-AFTRA declined to comment, but the organization has similar rules for its own acting awards to prioritize people in filmmaking.
These changes are especially important as AI tools continue to permeate Hollywood, from script writing to special effects and even new actors created entirely with AI, like Tilly Norwood. Unions representing actors, writers and directors have been battling studios for years over AI protections. This was one of the biggest demands during the summer 2023 Hollywood strike. Some of the biggest concerns are around protecting their work and likeness from unauthorized and unpaid AI projects, along with concerns about AI’s impact on unemployment and human creativity.
There are a few other changes aside from the AI: If an actor ranks in the top five, they can be nominated for the same award for multiple performances. As such, Zendaya could be nominated for Best Actress for her role in Dune Part 3 and her upcoming role in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. The award for Best International Film will now go to the director rather than the country or region of origin, and the director’s name will also be on the plaque.
