'Human Provenance in Film': New AI Disclosure Standard

A free, open AI disclosure standard for film and television launched at the Cannes Film Market on May 12, 2026. Called Human Provenance in Film, the initiative was created by The Mise En Scène Company, an international film sales agency based in London and led by Angelina Lamke. The standard is open for industry consultation through October 31, 2026.

The Three Tier Taxonomy

The standard defines three levels of AI use in any production:

Tier	Label	Definition
1	No AI Used	No generative or assistive AI tools were involved in any part of the production.
2	Assistive AI	AI tools assisted human creators in editing, scheduling, or research, but generated no content included in the final work.
3	Generative AI	AI generated visual, audio, or written content appears in the final work.

The taxonomy integrates into existing sales and distribution paperwork. No separate reporting pipeline is required. Producers, distributors, platforms, insurers, and exhibitors can all participate without adopting new systems.

An Open License

Human Provenance in Film is published under a CC BY 4.0 open license. Any company may adopt, adapt, and implement it at no cost and without seeking permission. The only requirement is credit to the original initiative.

Paul Yates, CEO and spokesperson, framed the goal as building "a common language, a common understanding, and a collective industry agreement." Governance is designed to transfer eventually to an independent industry body, removing it from control by any single company.

The Consumer Data Behind It

The initiative draws on Deloitte and Baringa research showing that 77% of consumers want to know whether content was made by AI in whole or in part. A separate figure from the same research: 70% say they would rather watch a film or show made by a human than one made by AI.

Those numbers provide the commercial case for voluntary adoption. Distributors and platforms that display the taxonomy are signaling something audiences say they want to know.

Two Sides of the Same Accountability Shift

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences introduced an Affidavit of Human Origin for acting and screenplay submissions at the 99th Oscars. That affidavit governs the awards end of the pipeline. Human Provenance in Film is the market side counterpart: a voluntary supply chain disclosure mechanism designed to travel with every film through sales, rather than sitting at the awards finish line.

SAG-AFTRA's 2026 labor agreement handles the production side, establishing consent and compensation rules for synthetic performers. HPF fills a gap neither academy rules nor labor contracts cover: what information about AI use gets communicated once a film enters the international market.

The Marché du Film ran over 45 AI focused panels in its 2026 program. Human Provenance in Film is one of several disclosure frameworks moving through the industry simultaneously, alongside the Golden Globes' 2027 AI disclosure requirement for eligible works.

Filmmakers generating AI content for productions can work with the latest text-to-video and image-to-video models at AI FILMS Studio.

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Sources

Variety | Deadline | Human Provenance in Film | Two Birds | Outlook India