Hollywood is not taking kindly to the AI-generated actress Tilly Norwood

Tilly Norwood, a fictional actress created by Xicoia, the AI arm of Particle6, has stirred controversy in Hollywood. Based in London, Norwood has approximately 40,000 followers on Instagram, but the truth is she does not exist in the traditional sense. Eline Van der Velden, the Dutch producer behind Particle6, unveiled her at the Zurich Film Festival this September, and is now on the hunt for an agent to represent this digital persona. The introduction of Norwood has provoked a notable backlash from industry professionals. Actress Emily Blunt, recognized for her performances in major films such as "The Devil Wears Prada" and "A Quiet Place," expressed her alarm during a podcast with Variety. "Good Lord, we’re screwed. That is really, really scary," she remarked, urging agencies to halt the trend of replacing human actors with AI-generated characters. SAG-AFTRA, the union that advocates for performers in the entertainment industry, has also voiced its concerns. The organization issued a statement emphasizing that Norwood is not an actor but rather a computer-generated character created using the work of numerous professional performers without their consent. They highlighted the absence of genuine life experience and emotion in synthetic performers, arguing that such creations do not fulfill any need but rather threaten the livelihoods of real actors and undermine human artistry. In response to the mounting criticism, Van der Velden took to Instagram to clarify her stance. She stated that Norwood should not be viewed as a substitute for human actors, but rather as a unique creative work intended to provoke discussion and showcase the capabilities of modern technology. The emergence of AI-generated figures like Norwood is raising alarms among human actors, especially following the recent release of OpenAI's Sora 2, which enhances the realism of AI-generated content. This has prompted organizations like SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America to push for contracts that protect against the potential replacement of human talent by AI technologies. SAG-AFTRA reiterated the importance of adhering to contractual obligations when utilizing synthetic performers, emphasizing the need for proper notice and negotiation.