The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has ruled that AI-generated performances and screenplays won't be eligible for Oscars. New guidelines taking effect with the 2027 awards ceremony state that while filmmakers can use AI tools in production, any "synthetic" performers or AI-written screenplays must be "human-authored" to qualify for recognition.

The Academy reserves the right to request additional documentation to verify submissions were created by humans. This comes amid controversy over Val Kilmer's posthumous AI appearance in "As Deep as the Grave," where the late actor never stepped on set but will appear in "a significant part" of the film, approved by his family.

Industry panic escalated after ByteDance's Seedance 2.0 tool generated convincing 15-second celebrity clips using just two sentences as input. The viral Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt fight video prompted Washington's attention and reportedly caused ByteDance to pause the tool's rollout amid concerns about AI's potential to disrupt entertainment creation.