Will AI Influence the Oscar Race?

At this year’s Academy Awards, several Oscar frontrunners have drawn the ire of film critics for using AI to fine-tune performances.

Learn how ethical AI and transparency in cinematic innovation can help maintain authenticity in film while avoiding scrutiny. 

In this article

1. AI-Enhanced Physical Traits Gain Criticism from Film Critics
2. Why AI Could Affect Oscar Outcomes
3. Why There Are Still Ethics in AI

AI-Enhanced Physical Traits Gain Criticism from Film Critics

While controversy is nothing new to the Oscars, this year’s debate revolves around the rapid rise of technology in film and its impact on performances. Heavily laden FX, CGI and AI-assisted films, while historically praised for their awe-inspiring scenes, are now being scrutinized for undermining the authenticity of the performances. 

In today’s context, could AI affect the Academy Awards and if so, to what end? Is it fair to criticize a movie for using AI to enhance a scene or to accentuate a character’s physical traits or dialogue when movies have used special effects for years?

According to a recent Variety article, Director Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist has faced criticism for using AI in the film’s postproduction to perfect two of its stars’ Hungarian language dialogue.

The main question this raised was how AI was used in the film and whether it influenced the stars’ performances at all. Corbet was quick to respond to the publication, releasing a statement saying that AI had no sway over the actors’ performances and that the acting was “completely their own.”

Corbet clarified that the actors had worked for months to perfect their accents with dialect coach Tanera Marshall. He added that the production relied on innovative Respeecher technology only to edit the Hungarian language dialogue. 

To date, The Brutalist has won a Golden Globe for Best Dramatic Motion Picture, Best Director for Corbet and Best Lead Actor for Adrien Brody. It has also received 10 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director for Corbet, Best Actor for Brody and Best Supporting Actress for Felicity Jones. 

Why AI Could Affect Oscar Outcomes

The Brutalist is not the only Oscar frontrunner to use Respeecher, as the software is also listed in the film credits of Emilia Pérez.

And while AI is increasingly making its way into film and television, it’s been garnering bad press over concerns that it could lead to job loss in Hollywood — as much for actors featured in original footage as for voice actors contracted to contribute their voice over skills to postproduction processes.

But technology has long played a central role in film, including in Natalie Portman’s Oscar-winning performance in Black Swan, in which Portman’s face was digitally imposed over the face of professional dance double Sarah Lane. 

However, due to digital wizardry, actors have also been overlooked for notable film performances, including Andy Serkis for his portrayal of Gollum in The Lord of the Rings trilogy and Zoe Saldana for her portrayal of Neytiri in James Cameron’s Avatar.

Protecting an actor’s voice, likeness and performance is paramount to SAG–AFTRA, which is why it consistently lobbies for legislation, partners with key industry players, advocates for ethical AI use, and implements robust safeguards.

Why There Are Still Ethics in AI

Despite the backlash against The Brutalist and its fellow Oscar contenders, commitment to integrity and authenticity in cinema remains paramount to content creators, especially to startups like Respeecher and Flawless.

According to Flawless CEO Scott Mann, the startup has been working closely with the Editors Guild and Screen Actors Guild to ensure that their work is done ethically, correctly and with consent. 

Voices’ 3 C’s of ethical AI are a great starting point for ensuring universally used and accepted AI practices:

• Consent: Ensure AI technologies are developed with informed consent, especially those involving biometric data and/or voice cloning.
• Credit: Be clear about how AI tools are designed, trained and put into use. 
• Compensation: If AI systems use personal data or likenesses, their developers must fairly compensate individuals for their contributions. 

The Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR), headed by founder and executive director Dr. Timnit Gebru, is another great resource dedicated to promoting ethics in all aspects of AI. 

Success in cinema is often achieved through suspension of disbelief, and avid moviegoers generally trust filmmakers to entertain, enlighten and astound them.

But with that trust comes an understanding that any special effects or enhancements used in such films are done so with the full knowledge and consent of all the artists and technical craftspeople involved.