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, including being superimposed on the often-star-studded couch on BBC’s The Graham Norton Show.
