Academy bars AI actors and AI-written screenplays from Oscars

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced new eligibility rules for the 99th Academy Awards that bar AI-created acting performances and AI-written screenplays from nomination. The rules cover films released Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2026, and apply to awards presented at the ceremony scheduled for March 14, 2027, at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles.

The policy states, “in the Acting category, only roles credited in the film’s legal billing and demonstrably performed by humans with their consent will be considered eligible.” It also specifies that screenwriting awards will be limited to scripts written by humans. The Academy said it has the right to request additional information about a production’s use of generative AI.

The changes follow industry debate over digital recreations of performers and synthetic actors. Projects that used an AI-generated version of Val Kilmer and the emergence of virtual performers such as the AI character Tilly Norwood raised questions about authorship and consent for digital and posthumous representations.

The policy reflects protections the actors and writers sought during their 2023 strikes, when unions pressed for rules on AI use, consent and compensation. The Academy clarified that studios may continue to use generative AI as a production tool, but only human contributors can be recognized as eligible creative authors for Academy honors.

Director and actor Tyler Perry halted an $800 million expansion of his Atlanta studio complex in 2024 after viewing demonstrations of generative video tools. Perry warned the technology could cost jobs across several crafts and called for protections, saying, “There needs to be some kind of rules to protect us.”

OpenAI discontinued its Sora video generator on April 26 and plans to end API access in September. The Academy’s ability to request disclosures about AI use is intended to help awards committees verify compliance with the new eligibility standards.

The guidelines aim to give clearer standards for submissions and to reduce disputes over nominations that involve synthetic performances or AI-authored material. Studios, agents and talent will need to document human performance and authorship when submitting films for Oscar consideration.

Similar debates have reached publishing; a novel titled “Shy Girl” was withdrawn from planned U.S. publication amid concerns it used AI. The Academy’s rules set a defined threshold for what counts as a qualifying performance and a qualifying screenplay for the Oscars.