Oscars rules for films released in 2026 (99th Academy Awards): acting must be "demonstrably performed by humans with their consent", screenplays human-authored, AI use may be investigated - AI in production is not banned outright

Reported by NPR (2 May 2026) from the Academy's announcement; the official rules PDF was not retrievable (403). Changes for the 99th Oscars: only roles "demonstrably performed by humans with their consent" are eligible for acting awards (excluding synthetic performers such as the AI "actress" Tilly Norwood); screenplays must be "human-authored"; the Academy "reserved the right to investigate the use of generative AI in any submission". The Academy framed AI like earlier technologies (sound, colour, CGI) whose rules evolve; using AI somewhere in production does not by itself disqualify a film (per commentary). Other changes: performers can receive multiple nominations in one acting category; International Feature eligibility widened (festival winners; not limited to one film per country). Practical for AI filmmakers aiming at awards/festivals: keep authorship records (who wrote, who performed, consent forms), expect disclosure questions about generative AI, and keep synthetic performers out of acting categories; check each festival's own rules, which may be stricter. Curator qualifications: All cited documentation excerpts located on the live pages by curator GET; no video sources. Secondary news report of the Academy announcement; the official rules PDF returned 403 and the exact rule text was not read. Limitations: Secondary report of primary rules; exact rule text not read. Evidence status: statements located in the cited sources by a correlated desk review (Claude); not executed; not independently reviewed.

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