The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has unveiled new voting and artificial-intelligence rules governing the 98th Oscars, according to KTLA.

The announcement lands ahead of a ceremony scheduled for early 2026 that will honor films released in 2025. KTLA's report confirms the rule package covers two distinct areas: voting mechanics and AI disclosure.

What does the rule package cover?

The provisions address how the Academy counts votes and how campaigns and submissions must treat artificial intelligence. Both areas have drawn sustained attention from Academy leadership in recent years as generative tools entered mainstream production pipelines and as critics questioned the structure of the Academy's voting body.

The AI component formalizes guidance the Academy first issued in 2023, when its Board of Governors stated that AI tools do not diminish human authorship for awards eligibility. That earlier statement said films using AI remained eligible but flagged AI's growing role in production. The new rules appear to extend that framework, requiring clearer labeling around how AI was used in nominated work.

The voting changes fall into the Academy's pattern of periodic reform. Membership has expanded and reorganized multiple times over the last decade, and the preferential ballot used to select Best Picture has itself been a target of adjustment.

What does this change in the race?

For campaign teams, AI disclosure rules will shape how distributors present films that used machine-learning for visual effects, voice synthesis, dubbing, or post-production. Films with significant AI involvement remain eligible under the framework first set in 2023, but the new guidelines may require specific disclosures during the submission phase or in campaign materials sent to voters.

On the voting side, rule changes typically affect who votes in which category, how runoffs are conducted, and which branches weigh in on certain disciplines. The cumulative effect can shift the kinds of films that emerge as nominees in close races.

Why the timing matters

Releasing voting and AI rules months ahead of nominations gives members, studios, and campaign strategists time to adjust. Campaign law firms typically brief clients on new rule packages before the season begins in earnest, and branch-specific committees review the changes with their constituencies.

For films still in production or post-production, the AI disclosure rules carry particular weight. Decisions made now about how to label or describe AI usage will shape how those films present themselves to voters in the months ahead.

What hasn't been announced

The Academy has not yet confirmed the date of the 98th ceremony, the producer, or the host. Nominations typically arrive in January or early February of the ceremony year.

The full text of the new rules will appear in the Academy's official communications and in KTLA's reporting.