In brief
The rise of AI in the entertainment industry is stirring significant controversy as Hollywood stars express their outrage at an AI-generated performer named Tilly Norwood. Created by Dutch actress Eline Van der Velden, Tilly is seeking representation from talent agencies, prompting condemnation from actors' unions and A-list celebrities. The Screen Actors Guild warns that Norwood, lacking human experience or emotion, could undermine the livelihoods of real performers and devalue artistry. Amid the backlash, Van der Velden insists that Tilly is a creative endeavor rather than a replacement for human actors.
An AI actor named Tilly Norwood has been causing a stir after its Dutch creators said the synthetic performer is in talks with talent agencies.Norwood could be mistaken for a young, aspiring actress when one glances at its social media. The brunette poses for photos and showcases a fully AI-generated comedy sketch, where it is described as having girl next door vibes.I may be AI, but I'm feeling very real emotions right now, Tilly's creators wrote on her page. I am so excited for what's coming next! Hollywood is not rolling out the red carpet. Its powerful actors union has condemned the creation, along with A-list stars like Emily Blunt, Natasha Lyonne and Whoopi Goldberg.Norwood is not an actor, it's a character generated by a computer program that was trained on the work of countless professional performers, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, or SAG-AFTRA, said in a statement. 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 said.The AI actor was created by Dutch actor and comedian Eline Van der Velden who reportedly said she wanted Norwood to become the next Scarlett Johansson. The BBC has reached out to Van der Velden and her company, Particle6.Norwood's Instagram page includes headshots from faux filming tests and an advertisement spoofing programs on the BBC. Amid the anger and backlash in Hollywood, the Dutch creator posted on Tilly's Instagram page to say that the creation is not a replacement for a human being, but a creative work – a piece of art.AI has been a hotly contested technology in Hollywood and was a key sticking point during labour strikes that shut down the industry two years ago as writers and actors demanded protections from the technology. In its statement on Norwood, SAG-AFTRA reminded agencies and studios that using Norwood in projects could pose issues for contractual protections they secured after the 2023 strike.Actress and filmmaker Natasha Lyonne said anyone who works with Norwood should be boycotted. Any talent agency that engages in this should be boycotted by all guilds, she stated.On the US chat show The View, comedian and actress Whoopi Goldberg expressed her skepticism over concerns that AI creations would steal jobs from actors, claiming that audiences can distinguish between humans and AI. While Norwood's Instagram has been active for months, her notoriety soared in Hollywood this week following a presentation in Zurich by her creator, where she hinted at upcoming announcements about high-profile projects utilizing AI technology.
