The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has for the first time acknowledged generative AI is a tool used by Hollywood and declared it will “neither help nor harm the chances” of achieving an Oscar nomination.
The New York Times reports that the Academy had been considering forcing filmmakers to disclose the use of artificial intelligence (AI) but in the end decided not to. This is what the Academy published in its updated film eligibility guidelines.
“With regard to Generative Artificial Intelligence and other digital tools used in the making of the film, the tools neither help nor harm the chances of achieving a nomination. 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 update to the rules comes after a controversy over the use of AI in The Brutalist — which Adrien Brody won the Oscar for best actor for but at one point was tipped to win best picture with the row scuppering the movie’s chances. It did, however, win the Oscar for best cinematography.
The Brutalist’s editor used an AI voice cloning software to perfect Brody’s Hungarian so even a native wouldn’t be able to tell that Brody, who has a Hungarian background, wasn’t speaking the complex language perfectly.
But the three-hour epic wasn’t the only Oscar-nominated movie that used AI, Emilia Pérez and Dune: Part Two also employed AI tools for enhancements. And these are the ones that we know about.
The Times notes that “simply acknowledging AI’s creep into moviemaking is a big deal” for the Academy. AI was at the heart of recent contract negotiations between studios and creatives; it remains a contentious issue with many fundamentally opposed to the technology.
However, movie producers are increasingly using AI. In September, legendary filmmaker James Cameron joined the board of directors of Stability AI. Cameron’s role in the company will reportedly center around how AI technology can be used in special effects and CGI in filmmaking.
Also in the updated rules from the Academy is a direction that Academy members must watch the films to be eligible to vote in the final round. Plenty are shocked that this rule wasn’t already in place but as The Times notes, there is no way of proving a member has actually watched all the nominees.
Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.
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