Oscars' new AI rule could lead to ‘diminishing return' in nominated films: expert

The Oscars announced several changes and updates to their rules for next year's 98th ceremony, including permission for generative artificial intelligence to be included in consideration for nominations.
"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 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) shared in a statement.
"You're putting your finger on the scale when you're using this type of technology and, yes, humans are involved, but not in the outcome. What's involved here is the AI is doing the heavy lifting," Raymond Arroyo, Fox News contributor and host of the "Arroyo Grande" podcast, told Fox News Digital.
He continued, "This is fine for some parts of filmmaking: production design and even script[s] [making] alterations and plot lines, but there's a human element that you're going to want to rely on. Because humans are imperfect, and that's what makes art, and that's what makes the human experience. In many ways, it's our striving for perfection and missing that fascinates."
AI was already used in an Oscar-winning film this year, "The Brutalist."
The film's editor, Dávid Jancsó, told tech magazine Red Shark News in January that AI tools from Respeecher, a Ukrainian software company, were used to improve the Hungarian dialogue spoken by stars Adrien Brody, who won for best actor at this year's Oscars, and Felicity Jones.
"I am a native Hungarian speaker, and I know that it is one of the most difficult languages to learn to pronounce," Jancsó told Red Shark. "It's an extremely unique language. We coached [Brody and Jones] and they did a fabulous job, but we also wanted to perfect it so that not even locals will spot any difference."
According to Jancsó, Brody and Jones recorded their voices into the AI software, and he used his own voice for some of the dialect.
That kind of perfection isn't necessary, in Arroyo's opinion.
"Every great story is about the hero trying to achieve something that's really out of his grasp, beyond him," he said. "But for AI, everything is within its grasp. And I do worry that some of the craftsmanship and the artistic choices will be delegated to a computer rather than to another level of human interaction and collaboration."
Arroyo doesn't see AI completely replacing creatives entirely, a common fear across Hollywood, but he does believe it could negatively impact the artistic process.
"You're always going to have a director, but if your set designs are being done by AI, and your costume design's being done by AI, your background music is being done by AI … you see the diminishing return. That human interaction where art is made is cut off, because you have one prime mover and a computer."
The Oscars also announced another rule change that surprised many.
Beginning with the upcoming ceremony, Academy members will be required to watch all nominated films in each category to be eligible to vote in the final round.
Over the years, anonymous Oscar voters have shared their ballots in trade publications, often admitting that they haven't watched some films or finished longer nominees.
Arroyo speculated that that may lead to fewer members voting.
"I know a number of members of the Academy who don't vote at all, and they don't because they hate most of the films being offered and don't want to sit through them," he said. "So, it's kind of their own personal defection in place."
"But I mean, on the whole, it's a good idea people at least consider the nominees in total that they're voting on. But I think they're nominating too many people. You can't have 10 movies nominated for best movie. It's too much. And so it can't also become a second career for members of the Academy to vote with knowledge on your nominees. And so they may have to readjust the sheer volume [of] the awards."
According to AMPAS, most categories are voted on by eligible members of their respective branch (costuming votes for costuming, editors for editors, etc.) while certain categories "may be open to members across all voting branches."
For the final round, all eligible members may vote in all categories.
AMPAS has not yet laid out any methodology on how to enforce this new system, leaving a gray area for how well it will work.
"I don't know how professionals are going to have that much time," Arroyo said. "If they're directors and producers and, actors, designers, and they're working constantly, that's a big time suck. So how the Academy patrols it, I don't know."
He suggested sending screener links that can indicate whether someone has watched it, or possibly a questionnaire about what happens in the film, but, "there's so much busy work that I think it defeats its own purpose, so they may have to walk that back."
"It's a good idea, but the answer is: Nominate less, curtail your categories so you have 10 rather than 30," Arroyo added.
As of 2024, there are 23 categories, with two new ones added for upcoming ceremonies. In 2026, members will be able to vote on achievements in casting, and in 2028, a long-awaited stunt category will be available.

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