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AI performers will not qualify for Oscars under new Academy rules that also overhaul the international film category and acting nominations.

Actors created with artificial intelligence will not be eligible for an Oscar, said the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Friday introducing new rules for the awards. The governing body of the Oscar Awards clarified that acting performances and screenplays must be created by humans, while allowing the use of artificial intelligence tools.

The new rules primarily concern:

• AI-created actors
• Screenplays written using AI
• International films category
• Multiple nominations for actors in the same category

Actors created using AI

Under the updated guidelines, only roles "demonstrably performed by humans with their consent" will be eligible for acting awards, effectively excluding AI-generated performers, according to the Academy. The new rules would exclude AI-generated "actress" Tilly Norwood who debuted last year. The decision follows the unveiling of an AI-generated version of Val Kilmer, a year after his death. A digital, youthful Kilmer appeared in the trailer for "As Deep as the Grave," recreated using archival footage with his family's support.

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Screenplays written using AI

According to the Academy, screenplays must be entirely "human-authored to be eligible." The board said AI tools would "neither help nor harm" a film's chances but emphasized that human creative authorship must remain central. The move comes amid growing industry concern over generative AI, which was a key issue during the 2023 Hollywood labor strikes. The Academy said it may request additional information from filmmakers to verify if the submissions were created by humans.

International films category

Announcing significant changes for the international feature category, films can now qualify not only through national submissions but also by winning top awards at major festivals, including Cannes, Berlin, Busan, Venice or Toronto, the Academy said. Until this year, only films chosen by official national bodies could be submitted, a problem for critical works from authoritarian states. From now on and as per the new rule, the film will be deemed the nominee and not its country, the Academy announced. The director of the film will be "listed on the statuette plaque" along with the country, if applicable.

Multiple nominations for actors in the same category

In acting categories, performers will now be eligible for multiple nominations within the same category for different roles. Earlier, an actor could not receive multiple nominations in a single category for roles in different films, although this was allowed for other Oscar categories. The changes will apply to the 99th Academy Awards, scheduled for March 2027.

Author: Shakeel Sobhan AFP, AP, Reuters, dpa

Edited by: Rana Taha

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