The 2025 Academy Awards saw films Emilia Perez and The Brutalist as its frontrunners, receiving 13 and 10 Oscar nominations respectively. Interestingly enough, that’s not the only similarity these Oscar nominees share. In an interview, Dávid Jancsó, film editor for “The Brutalist”, revealed that an AI software called Respeecher was used to tweak the voices of stars Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones in order to perfect their Hungarian dialogue in the movie. In a similar fashion, “Emilia Perez” used AI voice cloning techniques to increase the vocal range of Karla Sofía Gascón, the actor of the film’s title character.

This form of AI usage isn’t terrible. In fact, it’s actually quite practical. Unfortunately, the extent to what humans can do is limited. Using AI to slightly refine or tweak an original actor’s performance should not be looked down upon. After all, artificial intelligence is a tool, and filmmakers should use it as such. 

However, this isn’t to say that AI can even come close to replicating the skills and nuance of an authentic actor. While a handful of people have criticized Adrien Brody for winning a Golden Globe for Best Actor for his leading role in “The Brutalist”, aside from adjustments to his Hungarian dialogue, Brody’s performance as László Tóth was entirely his. An exemplary movie is and should always be the product of a dedicated and hard-working team of talented human actors. 

Additionally, authenticity should always be favored over using AI to “fake” it. Once again, “The Brutalist” provides a beautiful example of this by casting Brody, an actor with Hungarian roots. Though artificial intelligence can make up for what certain people might lack, the better choice is to find people who have the specific features or skills that you might be looking for. Still, I see no issue with this film’s clever use of AI. All factors considered, it played a minimal role in the film’s Oscar nominations while still enhancing the final product. 

The same goes for production that occurs off screen. It’s no surprise that movie making takes a lengthy amount of time, with some films taking several years to complete all of its production phases. The core of film production should always be centered in the creative mind, but using AI to refine aspects of screenwriting, graphic design and CGI effects can absolutely create a much more engaging and high-quality product. But once again, it should be emphasized that AI shouldn’t become a replacement for human jobs.

Essentially, AI is a tool, and quite a helpful one at that. “The Brutalist” and “Emilia Perez” are two exceptional examples of how we can use AI to improve upon film content. With how complicated and time-consuming the process of filmmaking is, I believe using it is entirely beneficial to the film industry. But when it really comes down to what makes an award-winning film, actors, screenwriters, directors and a human production crew are irreplaceable.