The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced new rules Friday saying actors created with artificial intelligence will not be eligible for Oscars. The governing body clarified that acting performances and screenplays must be created by humans, while allowing the use of AI tools in the filmmaking process.
Key changes concern AI-created actors, screenplays written using AI, the international feature category, and multiple nominations for actors in the same category.
Actors created using AI
Only roles “demonstrably performed by humans with their consent” will qualify for acting awards, effectively excluding AI-generated performers, the Academy said. The new guidelines would bar AI-generated “actress” Tilly Norwood, who debuted last year, from eligibility. The decision follows the recent unveiling of a digitally recreated, young-looking Val Kilmer in the trailer for As Deep as the Grave, produced using archival footage with his family’s support.
Screenplays written using AI
Screenplays must be entirely human-authored to be eligible. The Academy said AI tools would “neither help nor harm” a film’s chances but emphasized that human creative authorship must remain central. The move comes amid industry concern over generative AI, a core issue during the 2023 Hollywood labor strikes. The Academy also said it may request additional information from filmmakers to verify that submissions were created by humans.
International films category
Significant changes were announced for the international feature category. Films can now qualify not only through official national submissions but also by winning top awards at major festivals, including Cannes, Berlin, Busan, Venice or Toronto. Until now, only films chosen by national bodies could be submitted, a restriction that often hindered critical works from authoritarian states. Under the new rule, the film itself — rather than its country — will be deemed the nominee. The director will be listed on the statuette plaque along with the country, if applicable.
Multiple nominations for actors in the same category
Performers will now be eligible for multiple nominations within the same acting category for different roles. Previously, actors could not receive multiple nominations in a single acting category for roles in different films, though this was allowed in other Oscar categories.
The changes will apply to the 99th Academy Awards, scheduled for March 2027.
Edited by: Rana Taha