AI “actor” Tilly Norwood will never be eligible for a BAFTA Film Award, the British Academy has confirmed, amid updates to its rulebook and voting processes.
BAFTA is now reserving the right to ask for more information regarding the use of AI and “the extent of human creative involvement” in work submitted for Film Awards consideration. Following “industry consultation,” BAFTA has clarified its approach to AI and on Wednesday said its 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 films, BAFTA can request additional information.
“[Artificial intelligence] is obviously evolving at a very fast pace,” executive director of awards and content at BAFTA, Emma Baehr, told The Hollywood Reporter in a media briefing about the changes. “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 recognizing human achievement.”
While things may change again next year, Baehr said the language used in the updated rulebook allows the film committee at BAFTA to “dig into” specific uses of AI ahead of the longlist and nominations announcements. There isn’t a specific percentage or “exact science” that would rule out an AI-aided film from contention for a BAFTA, but Baehr maintains the focus is on human creativity.
For example, THR asked, what would the 2027 approach be to Adrien Brody’s BAFTA and Oscar-winning role in The Brutalist? (The actor was said to have used AI to help with his Hungarian accent in Brady Corbet’s 2024 film.) Baehr responded: “[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 [to win a BAFTA]. But we never really comment on what’s happened in the past because the rules are the rules for that year, and every year it changes. 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.”
When asked for confirmation that Norwood — the AI “actor” who last year plunged the industry into crisis around the ethicality of AI performers, and who is about to make her feature film debut — will not ever be eligible for a BAFTA, Baehr was firm: “No. No. That’s not human.”
Baehr and Deirdre Hopkins, head of film at BAFTA, declined to comment on the possibility of one day introducing a craft category entirely devoted to AI-generated projects.
Among other changes are BAFTA’s expansion of the outstanding British film category, taking the longlist from 15 to 20 films to “better showcase the depth and range of British filmmaking and create a wider pool of British titles for consideration.” The category will retain 10 nominations, with five chosen by the membership vote and five by the nominating jury.
BAFTA is also broadening participation in the performance categories’ voting process by inviting Casting Chapter members to vote alongside the Acting Chapter in the longlisting and nomination rounds. As part of the update, the longlisting jury will now select five performers on the longlist. These changes will bring “additional industry expertise to these categories and support wider recognition of acting talent.”
In other news, the children’s & family film category will be renamed family film, bringing the category title into “closer alignment with its focus on films that appeal across generations.” The new name is said to better reflect the types of films eligible for consideration and provides greater clarity for entrants, voters and jurors, while the eligibility criteria and voting process remain unchanged.
Entries for the 2027 BAFTA Film Awards are open from Wednesday, July 22. The longlist will be announced on Jan. 7, 2027, the nominations on Jan. 29, and the ceremony on Feb. 21.
Credit: Source link