The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has officially moved to protect human creativity, announcing that artificial intelligence (AI) avatars and chatbot-generated scripts are ineligible for the Oscars.
The new regulations, released Friday for the 99th Academy Awards, mandate that only “real, live human performers” and “human-authored” screenplays can qualify for the film industry’s highest honors. The crackdown addresses mounting concerns over the displacement of human artists by generative technology.
”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,” the Academy stated.
“In the Writing categories, the rules codify that screenplays must be human-authored to be eligible.”
THE “VAL KILMER” PRECEDENT
The ruling follows the controversial debut of an AI-generated version of the late Val Kilmer at CinemaCon in April 2026. The digital avatar appeared in the trailer for the upcoming historical action film As Deep as the Grave, which used archival footage to recreate the actor a year after his death.
While Kilmer’s family supported the project, the Academy’s new stance ensures such digital resurrections cannot compete for Best Actor.
EXPANDED INTERNATIONAL ELIGIBILITY
In addition to the AI ban, the Academy introduced a major shift for the Best International Feature category, aimed at bypassing government-controlled selection committees in authoritarian states.
- New Qualifying Route: Films no longer need an official “national grouping” selection. A non-English language film can now qualify by winning a top prize at major festivals, including Cannes (Palme d’Or), Berlin (Golden Bear), Venice (Golden Lion), Sundance, Busan, and Toronto.
- Director Credit: The award will now officially list the director on the statuette plaque, shifting the recognition from the country to the individual filmmaker.
MULTIPLE NOMINATIONS FOR ACTORS
In another historic update, actors are now eligible to receive multiple nominations in the same category for different performances in a single year, provided both roles rank in the top five vote-getters.
This brings the acting branch in line with other categories, such as Music and Visual Effects, which have long allowed for multiple individual achievements.