Ever since AI emerged on the scene, there has been a persistent fear that people will lose their jobs and be replaced by robots in the workforce. Now, with the debut of a recently generated actress, it seems that AI might make its way in and may replace Hollywood actors with one (or more) Tilly Norwood.
For those unfamiliar with the name, Tilly Norwood is an AI actress who debuted earlier in July with a comedy sketch titled “AI Commissioner”. She is created by Xicoia, an AI talent studio owned by Eline Van der Velden, an actor, writer, and producer.
During the Zurich Summit at the Zurich Film Festival, Van der Velden revealed that there are multiple talent agencies that are interested in signing Tilly Norwood as their actress. Furthermore, the AI-actress-owner also confirmed that they will be announcing which agency is going to be representing Norwood in the next few months.
Van der Velden stated that the company and its product received a lot of scepticism from agencies, especially earlier in the year. However, the Xicoia CEO suggested that studios and other entertainment companies are quietly embracing AI under the radar; she even goes so far as to propose that we can expect a public announcement about a high-profile project in the coming months.
Naturally, this sparked some serious backlash from various performers, namely Toni Collette, Mara Wilson, Lukas Gage, and Nicholas Alexander Chavez. Van der Velden has since issued a statement defending herself and her work, which was shared through Norwood’s official Instagram (seen below).
The CEO reasoned that this is simply a new tool to help create art and is no different from puppetry or CGI. Van der Velden stressed that Norwood is a tool and not a replacement for human actors. She ultimately concluded her message with a hopeful outlook that AI and AI-adjacent works would be welcome as the next new way to express creativity.
It goes without saying that AI is widely adopted in this day and age, but not everyone embraces it. There is no denying that there is now a non-zero chance that Van der Velden’s AI dreams are becoming a reality. But like most actors, Norwood’s success in Hollywood depends on the audience, who may decide to reject the AI actress for one reason or another.
