What Do They Want From Tilly Norwood?: AI in Acting
by Charlotte Lefkowitz
Illustration by Pilot
AI actors are here, but are they here to stay? In recent weeks, up-and-coming British “actress” Tilly Norwood has been making waves on social media and within the Hollywood press, but not for an incredible new performance or recent awards attention. Rather, the attention has been on the fact that Tilly is a 100% AI generated “actress.” Tilly was created by Eline Van der Velden, a comedian, actor, writer, and founder of Particle6 productions. On its website, Particle6 describes itself as “The World’s Leading AI Production Studio.”
Tilly was soft-launched a few months ago, but people only started becoming aware of her when Van Der Velden introduced her at the Zurich Film Festival, where she declared that she has been attracting the attention of talent agencies. It was this statement that made many within the industry upset, with many actors demanding to know what agencies were considering signing Tilly. Although that information has not yet been released, we have been able to see Tilly show off her… acting chops?
Particle6 released a 100% AI generated comedy sketch, called “AI Generator”. The sketch, which was written by ChatGPT, satirizes the TV industry, with jokes that Brits might understand more than I do, but that no one can really call funny. The sketch describes Tilly as “ a Sunday roast [that] went to drama school and got BAFTA optimized.” Even for those less skeptical of AI than I am, it is of little debate that the sketch is horrible, a genuine eyesore from start to finish that demonstrates no respect for real film and television artists. One of the most jarring parts of the sketch was when one of the male programmers praised Tilly’s pliancy, saying “she’ll do anything I say, I’m already in love,” further perpetuating the stereotype that all actresses are “divas” who are “ difficult to work with.” This is even more alarming when earlier, another male executive mused that the only thing AI couldn't do was consent to romantic scenes, before asserting that they will just ignore this ethical concern. This also feels quite patronizing towards real actors, as many have spoken about the discomfort and difficulty they’ve experienced while filming romantic and intimate scenes. While there has been a concerted effort in the industry to employ more intimacy coordinators in order to address these concerns, many in Hollywood are now pushing back against this movement, claiming that it is unnecessary. The sketch feels like a ploy to shame actors who feel uncomfortable doing certain things on camera, which has an obvious gendered connotation.
One of the main concerns about the use of AI in film and television is lack of transparency when it comes to appropriating the image and likeness of real actors and their performances. Many have been quick to pick up on Tilly’s similarities to actors like Florence Pugh and Hailee Steinfeld. One Scottish actress, Briony Monroe claims that her likeness has been stolen without her consent. Equity, the UK actors union, condemned Tilly’s creation saying, “AI-generated performances do not appear from thin air – they are made by digitally imitating real work made by real people. These AI systems have been trained on human likeness and human voices. Sometimes this is done with performers’ permission, but often it is not. This Wild West must end, and robust protections must be implemented to ensure artists’ work is not stolen.” SAG-AFTRA, America’s actor guild also criticized her creation.
After facing a fair amount of backlash , Van der Velden defended her character. In a statement to Deadline, she said , “To those who have expressed anger over the creation of my AI character, Tilly Norwood, she is not a replacement for a human being, but a creative work – a piece of art…I see AI not as a replacement for people, but as a new tool… I’m an actor myself, and nothing–certainly not an AI character–can take away the craft or joy of human performance.” Van der Velden's defense is odd and clearly contradicts her past statements. Before the criticism, she said that she wanted Tilly to become the next Scarlett Johansson or Natalie Portman. She also gave Tilly a website and social media account. Though she never hid the fact that Tilly was AI, she also tried to take every step possible to make her feel real.
So, now that Tilly Norwood exists, what will we do with her? Some argue that there isn’t much to worry about. Since Tilly isn’t a real person, she can’t be defined as an actor, as true actors draw on their real life experiences and knowledge in order to give the best performance possible. While this may be true, one of the things that film and TV purists like myself have to remember with the rise of AI is that many general audiences don’t care. For many people, quality doesn’t matter much as long as the finished product is more or less entertaining. Though technological developments have been impacting people in Hollywood for years, the arrival of AI feels far more dystopian, with artists being looked away in favor of budget cuts and a quicker timeline. AI has already arrived in the industry, and those working to protect their jobs must have the support of those in charge of these decisions. In the eyes of many, this isn’t just about protecting artists and their craft, but protecting human creativity and passion for the long-run.
