In this article, two films facing controversy over their use of artificial intelligence led the nominees for the Academy Awards announced Thursday. “The Brutalist,” a drama about a Hungarian-Jewish architect who survives the Holocaust and flees to the U.S., garnered 10 nominations, while “Emilia Pérez,” a musical centered on a transgender Mexican cartel leader, led all films with 13 nominations.
Both movies have been criticized this month for using AI to enhance actors’ voices. “The Brutalist” also faced backlash for employing AI to supplement the visuals in the film’s ending sequence. Nominations for “The Brutalist” include Adrien Brody for best actor and Felicity Jones for best supporting actress, while “Emilia Pérez” star Karla Sofía Gascón is up for best actress. Both films earned nods for best picture and best film editing. “Emilia Pérez” was also nominated for best sound.
Artificial intelligence has been a contentious issue in Hollywood in recent years. The technology is commonly used in the moviemaking process for tasks like dubbing or color correction and does not disqualify a film from Academy Award nomination. However, it was a significant concern during the 2023 actors’ and writers’ strikes, where creators expressed fears about AI potentially replacing their work and affecting their compensation.
Both the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA, the entertainers’ and artists’ union, reached agreements with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers that included conditions and compensation for productions utilizing generative AI and digital replicas of performers. Nevertheless, the agreements left unresolved issues such as the extent to which studios can train AI with existing content.
SAG-AFTRA did not immediately respond to a CNBC request for comment on Thursday. The tensions around AI escalated earlier this month following an interview with “The Brutalist” director and co-writer Brady Corbet and film editor David Jancso, both of whom received Oscar nominations. Jancso mentioned using AI tool Respeecher to clone and enhance Brody’s and Jones’ Hungarian-language dialogue, as well as generative AI to assist in creating architectural drawings and buildings in the movie’s finale.
The story sparked controversy on social media, with some users criticizing the use of AI and expressing reluctance to watch the film. Corbet defended the performances, emphasizing that the actors’ work was their own and that AI was used to refine certain aspects of the dialogue in post-production.
The controversy also affected “Emilia Pérez,” which faced criticism for its use of Respeecher. In a resurfaced interview, the film’s re-recording mixer mentioned using Respeecher to blend Gascón’s voice with that of another singer due to challenges in reaching certain singing registers.
Representatives for “Emilia Pérez” distributor Netflix and “The Brutalist” distributor A24 did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The defenders of the films pointed to previous movies like “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “The Irishman,” which employed similar techniques with success at the Oscars.
Peter Csathy, chairman of media and tech consulting firm Creative Media, highlighted the dual creative and legal risks associated with generative AI in Hollywood. He emphasized the importance of the Academy in celebrating great art while also protecting creators’ rights.
