Hollywood is up in arms over a new AI-generated actress

Hollywood’s newest leading lady…isn’t a lady. And she doesn’t eat, sleep, or negotiate for a bigger trailer.

Tilly Norwood is a fully AI-generated actress that, in recent weeks, has been making waves with talent agencies and celebrities across Hollywood.

• Tilly, who was created by London-based studio Particle6, debuted on-screen this summer in a short comedy video called AI Commissioner.
• Particle6 founder Van der Velden says talent agencies are currently circling Tilly, and she’s expected to soon announce a signing.

But not everyone’s applauding

Entertainment union SAG-AFTRA harshly criticized the project this week, saying Tilly “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." Stars including Emily Blunt, Natasha Lyonne, and Sean Astin also voiced alarm.

For many, Tilly crosses a red line. Studios have long used digital doubles and CGI to pull computer-assisted stunts like resurrecting Carrie Fisher, de-aging Robert DeNiro, or filling in risky stunts. But many in Hollywood say Tilly is a different situation altogether because she was never alive in the first place.

Looking ahead…Particle6 says it plans to roll out more AI “actors” like Tilly in the near future, complete with customizable looks and personalities.