Academy confirms AI films eligible for top Oscar awards

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Monday that films using artificial intelligence (AI) will remain eligible for top Oscar awards under newly updated voting and campaigning rules.

The Academy said the use of generative AI or other digital tools in filmmaking will "neither help nor harm the chances of achieving a nomination."

However, it emphasized that films with significant human involvement are preferred.

"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 announcement said.

Generative AI, which utilizes deep-learning models to generate high-quality content such as text, images, and more from its training data, has contributed to the creation of several award-winning films in March.

AI in filmmaking sparked controversy after Adrien Brody won Best Actor for his performance in The Brutalist at the March Oscars. The film, which received 10 nominations, employed generative AI to refine Brody's Hungarian accent, leading to debates over the ethical implications of using AI in movies.

Other films, such as Emilia Perez and Dune: Part Two, similarly incorporated AI tools for various adjustments.