Hollywood’s biggest stars, alongside its most powerful studios, are leaning hard on the idea that AI integration is inevitable. Actors like Matthew McConaughey and Sandra Bullock claim we’re all but powerless to embrace this new tech; given that directors like Steven Soderbergh and Darren Aronofsky have already folded generative AI into their filmmaking, it may seem like they’re right. Still, those concerned about literally anything else (like AI’s detrimental effect on the environment, for one, or our own cognitive awareness) aren’t quite ready to let tech outright replace the humans who’ve been making film for the past century. There is a utility to some forms of artificial intelligence, at least in tech-heavy fields like visual effects. But there are some places that AI should never be allowed — especially if the user ever wants to win an Oscar.
Last week, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences readjusted its guidelines and regulations for a handful of categories. Among promising updates for international features, which will now be awarded to directors instead of the country sponsoring the films, the Academy has permanently banned any AI-generated performance from being Oscar-eligible. Only acting roles “credited in the film’s legal billing and demonstrably performed by humans with their consent” can be considered for awards like Best Actor or Best Supporting Actress. Sorry Tilly Norwood!
