Hollywood Rejects AI Actress Tilly Norwood
▼ Summary
– Tilly Norwood is an AI-generated actress created by Particle6’s AI division Xicoia, with 40,000 Instagram followers.
– Actress Emily Blunt expressed strong opposition to Norwood, calling the concept “scary” and urging agencies to stop such initiatives.
– SAG-AFTRA condemned synthetic performers like Norwood, stating they use stolen performances without permission and threaten actor livelihoods.
– Creator Eline Van der Velden defended Norwood as a creative work of art meant to spark conversation, not replace humans.
– SAG-AFTRA emphasized that producers must comply with contractual obligations, including notice and bargaining, before using synthetic performers.
The entertainment industry is facing a new kind of performer, one that exists entirely in the digital realm. Tilly Norwood, an AI-generated actress created by Particle6’s Xicoia division, has ignited a firestorm of controversy in Hollywood. With around 40,000 Instagram followers, this London-based character appears to be a real person, but she is the product of sophisticated artificial intelligence.
Dutch producer Eline Van der Velden, the founder of Particle6, first presented the concept of Norwood at the Zurich Film Festival. Van der Velden is actively searching for an agent to represent the digital actress, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from established industry figures. The reaction from human actors has been swift and largely negative.
Acclaimed actress Emily Blunt expressed her alarm upon learning about Norwood during a podcast recording. She voiced a sentiment shared by many in her profession, stating it was “really, really scary” and pleading with agencies not to pursue such avenues. Blunt emphasized the importance of preserving “human connection” in storytelling, a core element she feels is threatened by synthetic performers.
The union representing entertainment professionals, SAG-AFTRA, issued a formal statement condemning the creation of characters like Norwood. The organization clarified that Norwood is not an actor but a computer-generated character built upon the work of countless professional performers, all without their consent or payment. SAG-AFTRA argued that these synthetic entities lack life experience and genuine emotion, asserting that audiences have little interest in content disconnected from the human experience. The union framed the issue as one that creates problems rather than solving them, specifically highlighting the use of “stolen performances” that jeopardize actor livelihoods and devalue human artistry.
In response to the significant backlash, Van der Velden took to the Tilly Norwood Instagram account to defend the project. She positioned Norwood not as a replacement for human beings, but as a creative work of art. Van der Velden wrote that, like many controversial art forms before it, the digital actress is meant to spark conversation, demonstrating the power of creativity itself.
This debate arrives at a time when human actors are increasingly wary of AI’s capabilities. The recent release of advanced AI video generation tools has made the threat feel more immediate. This growing concern is precisely why guilds like SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America have fought for and won contractual protections in their latest agreements. These provisions are designed to shield their members from being replaced by artificial intelligence.
SAG-AFTRA’s statement included a clear warning to producers, reminding them that they cannot use synthetic performers without adhering to strict contractual obligations. The union mandates that producers must provide notice and engage in bargaining whenever a synthetic performer is slated for use in a production, ensuring that human artists’ rights and contributions are respected.
(Source: TechCrunch)
