Posted by News of the AI Generated Actress Ignites Industry Backlash
She’s already making headlines and she’s only just arrived on the acting scene. In fact, she’s not even real. Tilly Norwood is an AI generated character with a pretty convincing human appearance.
We thought the controversy came to a head during the actors strikes in 2023, when SAG-AFTRA fought to keep human actors from being replaced by AI or having their likenesses used illegally. But it turns out the dispute has only just begun.
The debate over AI generated actors has heated up again after the Dutch Founder of Particle 6 Productions, Eline Van der Velden, announced the launch of Xicoia, which she termed “the world’s first artificial intelligence studio.”
Along with the announcement came the introduction of the studio’s AI generated character, Tilly Norwood. But what really ignited outrage was the news that the studio was seeking representation for the character.
It didn’t take long for the backlash to erupt. SAG-AFTRA slammed the studio saying that “creativity is, and should remain, human-centered.” The union minced no words when they issued a statement shortly after. “‘Tilly Norwood’ is not an actor, it’s a character generated by a computer program that was trained on the work of countless professional performers — without permission or compensation. It has no life experience to draw from, no emotion.”
The union further lashed back, “It creates the problem of using stolen performances to put actors out of work, jeopardizing performer livelihoods and devaluing human artistry.”
The threat of AI replacing human actors has been a volatile source of contention since its inception, though AI technology is widely used in visual effects for TV and film.
Norwood’s creator was quick to defend her work, assuring that Tilly is not intended to replace a human being. “Just as animation, puppetry, or CGI opened fresh possibilities without taking away from live acting, AI offers another way to imagine and build stories.” She added that creating Tilly was “an act of imagination and craftsmanship, not unlike drawing a character.”
Besides the obvious savings in paid actors and production costs, the continual need for an endless supply of fresh film and TV content, particularly for streaming platforms, is a big appeal for CTV businesses. Brands wonder whether consumers want to see AI content, and whether or not they should align their brands next to such content. At this point, no one seems certain.
Then there’s the question of disclaimers. Would content need forewarnings that the following presentation consists of artificially generated characters in the likeness of human beings and are not actual actors?
No one doubts AI technology will continue to advance. How much so and in what forms remains to be seen. What will become of Tilly Norwood? Will she ever see her acting debut? Read more here and here.