AI actress Tilly Norwood ignites debate in Hollywood over future of actors

Tilly Norwood, created by Dutch comedian Eline Van der Velden, faces backlash from SAG-AFTRA and Hollywood stars over infringement on contractual protections and devaluing real acting experience

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The Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) has denounced Tilly Norwood, an artificial intelligence (AI)-generated “actress” created by Dutch comedian Eline Van der Velden and her company Particle6. The AI performer has stirred controversy after reports that it is in talks with talent agencies.

 

Why it matters

 

Hollywood actors are concerned that AI creations could undermine human performers, infringe on contractual protections and devalue real acting experience, BBC reported.

 

Driving the news

 

Norwood’s social media presence includes photos, comedy sketches, and faux headshots that make the AI seem like a young actress with “girl next door vibes”. Her creators wrote, “I may be AI, but I'm feeling very real emotions right now. I am so excited for what's coming next!”

 

The creation has drawn criticism from major stars including Emily Blunt, Natasha Lyonne and Whoopi Goldberg, as well as SAG-AFTRA itself.

 

Studios such as Lionsgate are partnering with AI startups to accelerate production and reduce expenses. At the same time, the Writers Guild of America has protested against the technology, holding signs that read, "ChatGPT doesn't have childhood trauma".

 

Audiences might also be hesitant. A survey of 5,000 people across the US, UK, Europe, and Australia by management consulting firm Baringa found that 53 per cent of US respondents would feel uneasy watching content influenced by AI, Business Insider reported.

 

Even though some startups are cautious, using AI raises significant questions about which stories are shared, who gets to tell them, and how audiences will connect with movies and shows in the future. Still, filmmakers are experimenting with AI. Some use it to guess how well a script might do at the box office, while others rely on it for boring or repetitive parts of writing.   

 

Union response

 

“Norwood is not an actor, it's a character generated by a computer programme that was trained on the work of countless professional performers,” SAG-AFTRA said. “It has no life experience to draw from, no emotion and, from what we've seen, audiences aren't interested in watching computer-generated content untethered from the human experience.”

 

The union also warned that using Norwood could conflict with protections secured after the 2023 labour strike. “It doesn't solve any 'problem', it creates the problem of using stolen performances to put actors out of work, jeopardising performer livelihoods and devaluing human artistry,” the statement said.

 

Celebrity reactions

 

• Hollywood actress Emily Blunt: “That's an AI? Good Lord, we're screwed... Come on, agencies, don't do that. Please stop taking away our human connection.”

• Hollywood actress Whoopi Goldberg: “Audiences can tell the difference between humans and synthetic performers... our faces move differently, our bodies move differently.”   

 

The creator’s defence

 

Van der Velden said that Tilly Norwood is a creative work, not a replacement for humans. “Creating Tilly has been, for me, an act of imagination and craftsmanship, not unlike drawing a character, writing a role or shaping a performance... judged as part of their own genre rather than compared to human actors," Van der Velden said.

 

Norwood’s Instagram features headshots, spoof ads, and appearances on shows like BBC’s The Graham Norton Show.

 

AI has been a contentious topic in Hollywood, fuelling disputes in the 2023 labour strike. Van der Velden recently discussed her AI studio and AI talent agency, Xicoia, at a Zurich summit, suggesting studios are quietly exploring AI actors for future projects.

 

What’s next

 

AI stars like Tilly Norwood demonstrate how significantly AI is shaping creative industries. Virtual bands such as The Velvet Sundown have attracted millions of listeners, and magazines like Vogue have used AI-generated models, marking a new era of digital creativity and debate.

 

Hollywood studios could reveal major projects using AI soon. But actors and groups like SAG-AFTRA, along with stars like Natasha Lyonne, Emily Blunt, and Whoopi Goldberg, are making it clear they strongly oppose using AI performers in mainstream work.