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The Academy's new rules for the 99th Oscars are a meaningful stand for human creativity — only performances and screenplays demonstrably made by humans can be nominated. The international film category got a real upgrade too, letting festival winners compete without being blocked by national politics. These changes protect artists and modernize a system that was long overdue for reform.
The Academy's so-called AI ban is mostly smoke and mirrors — visual effects and sound design, where AI will dominate, are completely untouched by the new rules. Blocking an AI actor from winning a trophy while AI reshapes every technical craft behind the scenes is hollow posturing. This changes almost nothing of substance and reads more like a PR move than a real policy.