The Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE) group announced that its prestigious Golden Reel Awards will not accept any film, television, or video game entries that employ generative artificial intelligence in their sound production for the 2025 calendar year. This move establishes MPSE as the first major Hollywood awards body to implement such a ban, stepping out ahead of organizations like the Oscars and Emmys that have yet to formalize a position on Artificial Intelligence-generated content in creative works.
MPSE president David Barber explained the decision, saying that while the industry has engaged in ongoing, often unproductive, debate about Artificial Intelligence, the technology’s rapid proliferation behind the scenes necessitates clear action. The ban, which applies only to this year’s awards cycle, is intended as a pause—allowing time for the industry to address how Artificial Intelligence is assimilated. Barber described the move as a way to ´divert the waters´ of generative Artificial Intelligence´s rapid influx, urging the creative community to reflect on how much of human artistry should be conceded to technology. The MPSE’s Rules Committee reached the decision after significant internal debate; the future of Artificial Intelligence eligibility for subsequent years remains unresolved, and category-specific use of Artificial Intelligence will only affect eligibility for the relevant award.
Generative Artificial Intelligence, which creates media using machine learning on vast datasets of previous films, audio, and other works, has raised alarm among creative guilds and artists about potential job displacement and the erosion of human creativity. The technology has especially found traction in sound, due to so-called ´voice-cloning´ and synthetic audio capabilities, which can duplicate performances without the actor’s participation. Last year’s Golden Reel Awards saw entries where Artificial Intelligence was used, but none were ultimately nominated. Meanwhile, studios are becoming more adversarial; Disney and Universal’s recent lawsuit against Midjourney underscores the mounting legal and creative stakes. Barber hopes MPSE’s decision will inspire other awards organizations to enact similar rules, sending a signal that the future of creative recognition remains open for debate and proactive stewardship, rather than inevitable technological takeover. The Academy Awards currently note that tools like Artificial Intelligence ´neither help nor harm´ chances of nomination, but have yet to codify detailed eligibility standards for Artificial Intelligence-created content.
