AI makes its way into the Golden Globes as the bubble grows larger and larger

It is the trending topic everywhere: whether it will steal our jobs, whether it is very useful, whether it is the future, whether it is a bubble, whether I can no longer write an email without it… AI is present in all of society, in one way or another, and refusing to even talk about it (whether you have an opinion for or against) will not make it disappear. However, steps like the one just taken by the Golden Globes are going to end up causing controversy for a very obvious reason: they are a step in the wrong direction. A path that could end with the Golden Globes themselves.

And the winner is…

The Golden Globes have just emerged from one controversy and have launched into another. This Thursday, the awards made it clear that using AI (or worse, Generative AI) will not automatically disqualify the films and series vying for the awards, which will be presented on January 10. What’s the condition? “Human creative direction, artistic judgment, and authorship must be fundamental in the production process”. Now let’s see how you demonstrate that.

In fact, the new award rules have provided guidance on how AI can be used, adding that “it should not replace the creative contributions of human talent as the center of everything”. In other words: if you are a creative but have used AI at some point to achieve something you were looking for, that’s fine. Whether this is a nod to the future or they are falling flat in their intention to be trendy will be seen soon.

That said, all movies and series that want to be eligible for awards must disclose, at least “any generative AI that has been used anywhere in the production of the work, including alterations made to the face or voice of a credited actor“. This does not disqualify them, but they need to be aware: according to the Golden Globes, AI can be used to enhance or support a performance that remains fundamentally human and under the creative control of the actor. In other words: any actor created with AI logically cannot be nominated for anything. The controversy is served.