No Oscars for AI writing or acting
May 5, 2026
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has clarified that only acting and writing for films done by humans will be considered eligible to win an Oscar.
The Academy issued updated rules for what kind of work in movies and documentaries would be considered eligible for an Oscar. The Academy specified that only acting “demonstrably performed by humans” and that writing “must be human-authored” in order to be nominated for an award. The Academy called the requirements a “substantive” change to the rules for the Oscars.
In recent months, there have been notable examples of expansive use of AI tools and technology to replace or recreate human work.
However, the academy did not issue a ban on AI use in films more broadly. Outside of acting and writing, if a filmmaker used AI tools in their work, such “tools neither help nor harm the chances of achieving a nomination”, the academy wrote.
“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… If questions arise regarding the aforementioned use of generative artificial intelligence, the Academy reserves the right to request more information about the nature of the use and human authorship.”