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Bafta has allowed films made with the help of AI to be eligible for awards.
In a new clause outlining the eligibility of films created using generative AI, the British Academy stated it would be able to investigate “the extent of human creative involvement” in submissions.
Bafta’s new AI clause, released on Wednesday, reads: “The Awards are presented annually to recognise, honour and reward individuals for outstanding human achievement in originating, shaping and realising the final artistic outcome, regardless of the tools used to bring this work to life.
“Where the use of Generative AI or other digital tools is relevant to the consideration of the work, Bafta reserves the right to request additional information regarding the nature of such use and the extent of human creative involvement.”
The academy’s rulebook included the words “human achievement” for the awards last year, but the updated guidance has been criticised for being “likely to create confusion for filmmakers”.
Bafta made the ruling after the Oscars banned performances and scripts produced by AI in May in an attempt to protect the film industry.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ strict new guidance barred the nomination of AI actors or screenplays written with the support of AI, stating that only acting “demonstrably performed by humans” and writing that was “human-authored” would be allowed to win an Oscar in future.
Bafta can ‘dig into’ uses of AI in film
Speaking at a media briefing about the rules update Emma Baehr, the executive director of awards and content at Bafta, said that AI “is obviously evolving at a very fast pace”.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, she said: “We’re aware that AI and digital tools are used in some areas more than others.
“But we felt that it was very important that we expanded that and acknowledged that if anything comes up, we have the right to request further information because, ultimately, Bafta is about recognising human achievement.”
Discussing what the approach this year would have meant for Adrien Brody’s Bafta and Oscar-winning role in The Brutalist – after it was reported that AI had been used to improve the actor’s Hungarian accent – Ms Baehr maintained that he had been “eligible”.
“So Adrien Brody was eligible; he won. We celebrated that win, and that was within that year in that rulebook. So, as we said, AI is moving so fast, but we have to go back to what we’ve already said about human creativity, and that is the essence of it. We want to celebrate that.”
Ms Baehr added that the language used in the updated rulebook could allow Bafta’s film committee to “dig into” specific uses of the technology in submissions before nomination announcements.
Paul Yates, the spokesman for Human Provenance in Film Initiative (HPF), which is developing an AI disclosure standard, said: “Bafta’s announcement reads more as a holding statement than a clear eligibility policy, which is likely to create confusion for filmmakers on how and what they need to disclose.
“We’ve designed the HPF to act as this common language, so filmmakers and awards bodies, festivals, and other organisations have a standard framework to make AI use in film transparent.”
Mr Yates, who is also the chief executive of London-based The Mise en Scène Company, added: “We welcome Bafta’s announcement as a step towards normalising transparency, but believe there’s much more work to be done to achieve a unified industry approach to transparency, similar to the music industry’s recent announcement of a voluntary transparency-labelling programme.”
While there is no specific percentage or “exact science” that would rule out an AI-aided film from contention for an award, Ms Baehr maintained that it would “rule out an AI actor”, such as the controversial AI actress “Tilly Norwood”.
Particle6, a technology company, sparked an outcry after inviting Norwood to be employed in films, TV shows or adverts for a fraction of the cost of a human actor.
She said: “[The updates] would rule out an AI actor. It’s going to be a human that collects a Bafta. We’re never going to allow an AI actor.”
