Los Angeles [US], May 2 (ANI): The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced a series of major rule changes for the Oscars, bringing clarity on the use of artificial intelligence and introducing new updates across key categories.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, in its latest announcement, the Academy has stated that performances created using artificial intelligence will not be eligible for acting awards. Only performances done by human actors, with their consent and proper credit in a film, will qualify. The move comes after growing questions around the use of AI in films.

The Academy also said that only screenplays written by humans will be considered for writing categories. It added that it may ask for more details from filmmakers about how AI has been used in their projects, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

There have also been important changes in the international feature film category. Earlier, each country could send only one film for consideration. Now, films can also qualify by winning top awards at major global film festivals like Cannes, Berlin, Sundance, Toronto, Venice and Busan. This means more than one film from the same country will have the chance to be in the race.

Another key change is that the award in this category will now go to the film's director instead of the country. The director's name will also be officially recorded as the winner.

In a big shift for acting categories, actors can now receive multiple nominations in the same category for different performances. Earlier, only one performance by an actor could be nominated even if they had more strong roles in a year.

The Academy has also made changes to other categories. The number of winners in the casting category has been increased from two to three. The cinematography category will now have a shortlist of 20 films. In the music category, songs that play during end credits will now need to include part of the film before the credits while being submitted.

New rules have also been added for voting. Members voting in the visual effects category must watch specific presentation reels before casting their vote. Similarly, makeup and hairstyling members must attend certain meetings to take part in voting.

The Academy also shared important dates for the 99th Oscars, which will be held on March 14, 2027, along with submission deadlines for different categories. (ANI)