AI Ethics in Bollywood & Hollywood: Gulzar and Javed Reacts

The "human vs. machine" debate has officially reached the red carpet. With the Academy's May 2026 announcement of new eligibility rules, the entertainment world is seeing its first major defensive wall against the total encroachment of AI in creative crafts.

The Global Shift: New Rules for the 2027 Oscars

The Academy has moved proactively to protect the integrity of filmmaking. The updated regulations for the 99th Academy Awards (2027) include:

Human-Only Screenwriting: Scripts must be entirely authored by individuals to qualify for writing categories.
Consent in Acting: Performances must be demonstrably executed by humans with their clear consent and proper credit.
Verification: Filmmakers may be required to provide detailed disclosures on how AI was utilized during their production process.

Gulzar: "Human Emotion is Universal"

Renowned poet and Oscar-winner Gulzar (who won for Jai Ho in 2009) recently spoke out in favor of these restrictions.

“Human emotion is universal and that is what great cinema represents,” Gulzar noted.

He emphasized that while India has produced many films that missed out on Academy recognition in the past, prioritizing the human experience is the right path forward. He cited narratives like Chhapaak and Mere Pyare Prime Minister as prime examples of stories that rely on a human touch that AI simply cannot replicate.

Javed Akhtar: "Racing Cars vs. Humans"

Veteran screenwriter Javed Akhtar offered a more biting analogy to support the ban on AI-generated content in awards.

“In the Olympics, humans don't compete against racing cars, do they?”

While Akhtar has previously welcomed the responsible use of AI for technical benefits and even supported the inaugural AI film festival in India, he remains a fierce advocate for Copyright Law. He argues that if AI models are trained on an artist's work, that artist must be properly compensated, and creativity must remain a human-driven enterprise.

The Domestic Front: India’s New IT Rules

Parallel to the Oscars' rules, India has implemented its own New IT Rules on Synthetic Media in 2026. These rules mandate:

Mandatory Labeling: Any AI-generated visual or audio content must be clearly labeled to prevent misleading the audience.
Disclosures: Audio content must play a clear disclosure before it begins, informing listeners that the content is synthetically generated.
Strict Removal: Platforms must remove non-consensual deepfakes or harmful synthetic content within a strict three-hour window.

Hollywood’s Tentative Peace

In Hollywood, the SAG-AFTRA union reached a tentative four-year deal with major studios on May 3, 2026. This agreement focuses heavily on bolstering protections against "synthetic performers" and the unauthorized recreation of an actor's likeness—securing the gains made during the industry-shaking strikes of 2023.

Conclusion: Protecting the Soul of Cinema

Director Zoya Akhtar has also joined the call for similar protective rules in India, stressing that not just acting and writing, but also songwriting and music composition, need urgent protection from AI's ill effects. As the world prepares for the 2027 Oscars, the message from both Bollywood and Hollywood is clear: technology can assist, but the soul of the story belongs to the human.