The 97th Academy Awards may be remembered not just for its winners, but for the firestorm over artificial intelligence in filmmaking.
With Oscar-winning performances enhanced by AI, critics and industry professionals are questioning whether the use of artificial intelligence is crossing ethical lines in cinema.
This was reported by WP Tech.
Adrien Brody’s AI-Enhanced Performance Draws Scrutiny
One of the most polarizing moments of the night came when Adrien Brody won Best Actor for The Brutalist, a film that also picked up Best Score and Best Cinematography. The controversy? Brody’s performance had been partially modified using AI to improve his Hungarian pronunciation.
Despite receiving voice coaching, Brody and co-star Felicity Jones struggled to achieve native-sounding Hungarian accents. The film’s creators turned to Respeecher, an AI-based voice technology, to "enhance authenticity." Director Brady Corbet defended the decision, claiming the AI preserved, rather than altered, the actors' performances.
But critics weren’t convinced.
Many argued that acting awards should reflect human skill and effort, not AI adjustments. Some even compared it to performance-enhancing drugs in sports—questioning whether Brody’s Oscar-winning portrayal was truly his own.
AI’s Growing Role in Hollywood
The Brutalist wasn’t the only film under scrutiny. Several Oscar-nominated and winning films this year admitted to using AI in varying degrees:
Emilia Pérez, which won Best Supporting Actress and Best Original Song, used Respeecher to modify actress Karla Sofía Gascón’s vocals—a move that divided audiences.
A Complete Unknown, starring Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan, relied on AI for minor motorcycle stunt sequences.
Even Dune: Part Two, one of the most celebrated films of the year, used machine learning to create the blue eyes of the Fremen characters.
While some of these applications were minor, others—like voice enhancement—have ignited a larger debate about AI’s place in storytelling.
Authenticity vs. AI Shortcuts
For many in the industry, the Oscars reinforced fears about AI diminishing traditional acting and filmmaking skills.
Critics pointed to Best Actress winner Mikey Madison, who spent months training as a pole dancer for Anora, and Timothée Chalamet, who learned to play guitar like Bob Dylan for A Complete Unknown. Their efforts were praised as "true authenticity."
The controversy also reopened wounds from the 2023 Hollywood strikes, where actors and writers fought to limit AI’s role in the industry.
