AI actress Tilly Norwood faces furious backlash from Hollywood A-Listers

The news that talent agencies have been vying to represent the first AI actress, Tilly Norwood, has been causing a stir in Hollywood and in the tech industry. Pretty Little Liars star Lucy Hale, Scream actress Melissa Barrera, and former child star Mara Wilson have been vocal about their disapproval of the potential signing - and Tilly’s creation altogether.

On September 27, Eline Van der Velden, founder of the AI talent studio Xicoia, revealed that after initial scepticism from the industry, the studio would soon be announcing which talent agency would be representing Tilly in the next few months.

The news immediately caused a commotion in Hollywood, with many well-known actors and actresses calling out the production studio and talent agencies.

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Melissa Barrera, star of In the Heights and the Scream franchise, wrote on social media: “Hope all actors repped by the agent that does this, drop their a**. How gross, read the room,” while Netflix's Monsters actor Nicholas Alexander Chavez said: “Not an actress actually, nice try.”

Matilda star Mara Wilson accused the company of ‘stealing’ from young women to generate Tilly. “Shame on these people. They have stolen the faces of hundreds of young women to make this AI ‘actress.’ They’re not creators. They’re identity thieves.”

Eline released a statement on Sunday to address the backlash: “To those who have expressed anger over the creation of my AI character, Tilly Norwood, she is not a replacement for a human being, but a creative work – a piece of art.

“Like many forms of art before her, she sparks conversation, and that in itself shows the power of creativity. I see AI not as a replacement for people, but as a new tool, a new paintbrush.” She compares the technology to that of animation, puppetry and CGI for its possibilities and creative potential and says Tilly represents "experimentation, not substitution”.

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Who is Tilly Norwood?

Tilly Norwood is an AI digital character created by the AI talent studio Xicoia. The character is designed to resemble a young, white woman, with green eyes and brown hair.

Tilly officially launched with a dedicated Instagram account this past May, with a generic bio reading: “You’ll either get it or pretend you don’t. I’m a creation #aiart”. The bio also cites that ‘she' is based in London and an aspiring actress.

Is Tilly Norwood the first AI actress?

Tilly Norwood is considered the first AI actress, though other AI characters for specific projects have been generated previously. Tilly is the first creation from Xicoia and, if the rumoured talent agency signing comes to pass, it will be one of the first AI generated actresses with representation.

Would you watch a film with an AI actress? Let us know in the comments below.

What has Tilly Norwood starred in?

Tilly’s first credit is in the fully AI-generated production, AI Commissioner - a comedy sketch that “playfully explores the future of TV development”. On Tilly’s Instagram post announcing the first credited feature, the caption reads: “I may be AI, but I’m feeling very real emotions right now.”

In August, at the height of Sydney Sweeny’s controversial jean campaign, Tilly was also used for a parody commercial. The character’s showreel also includes a car commercial and depictions fighting monsters for an unnamed project.

What is Hollywood's response to AI?

The use of AI in the entertainment industry has been a looming source of tension, most typically for writers. Just two years ago, actors and writers shut down Hollywood with strikes demanding protections from AI. Since then, the technology has been inching more and more into TV, movies and video games.

Despite frequent waves of backlash, Van der Velden told Broadcast International that economic issues were driving the movie and TV business toward AI production.

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