Artificial Intelligence Just Keeps Advancing
What started as something almost unnoticeable, with videos that were warped and detached, AI was something people believed would never become indistinguishable with reality. Now, in 2025, less than a decade after that first AI video, a fully AI “actor” has been developed. Called Tilly Norwood, this actor has sparked controversy—now, all of Hollywood is talking.
What is Tilly Norwood?
Developed by Xicoia, an AI division of the production company, Particle6, Tilly Norwood has been marketed as an actor for films, podcasts, TikToks, YouTube videos, brand campaigns, video games, and even interactions with fans. The founder of Particle6, Eline Van Der Veldon, who is an ex-actress herself, has said “We want Tilly to be the next Scarlett Johansson or Natalie Portman, that’s the aim of what we’re doing.”
Norwood had its first “role” in a fully AI comedy sketch video titled “AI Commissioner”. The sketch was created using ten different AI softwares and was written by ChatGPT. In addition, Norwood has an instagram account, where it poses as an up-and-coming actor, posting screen tests and stills.
Positive or Negative?
The public’s reactions to Norwood have been mixed. Some view it as a positive, while others see it as very negative.
Many argue that it will make movie production more accessible, because anyone who wants to create a production will not need the money to hire real actors, and can instead use an AI. In addition, some people view it as a new method of making art. Tilly can be used for things like choose your own adventure TV shows. Also, it is argued that production costs can decrease substantially with the use of AI.
In 2023, Jeffrey Katzenberg, a DreamWorks founder, predicted that using AI in production can cut costs by 90%. Since that statement was made, AI has advanced even more and could potentially cut production costs even more. The benefits of Tilly Norwood are unquestionable, but are cutting these production costs and not having to hire actors truly beneficial to society?
Many people argue no. They believe introducing AI actors into film is harmful and that replacing real life actors will have negative effects. “They shouldn’t do that because it takes away jobs from real actors.” Cassidy Keenan ‘29 stated about the prospect of AI actors.
Other Mounties recognize the importance of utilizing AI ethically and beneficially, instead of replacing humans. “AI is getting out of hand, it should be used to help us, not take away our jobs.” Layla Alston ‘29 said.
Another argument against Tilly Norwood is that without real actors, films will not be able to evoke emotions from the audience and will feel artificial.
On Instagram, SAG-AFTRA, an entertainment union, stated that they are opposed to AI acting and that creativity should remain human centered. They argued, “it doesn’t solve any ‘problem’ – it created the problem of using stolen performances to put actors out of work, jeopardizing performer livelihoods and devaluing human artistry.”
Van Der Velden responded to this, stating that Norwood is a “creative work.” She claimed Norwood is not a replacement for people, and instead a new tool: “Much of my work has always been about holding up a mirror to society through satire, and this is not different. AI characters should be judged as part of their own genre, on their own merits, rather than compared directly with human actors.”
In addition to the concerns regarding human replacement, another issue pertains to consent. AI actors do not need to consent, meaning they can be used without ethical boundaries and can be used to create content that real humans would find offensive or inappropriate.
This is mentioned in Tilly Norwood’s debut video, “AI Commissioner”, where an AI man says “She’ll do anything I say I’m already in love” referring to Norwood. It doesn’t seem Xicoia has anything planned for combating this issue, and in the same video, a separate AI man says “only bit it struggled with was consent in romantic scenes, we just ignored that.” On top of this, AI actors can change to depict any age film makers choose, raising more ethical alarms.
Many prominent actors are enraged by Norwood’s creation. Emily Blunt said “That’s an AI? Good Lord, we’re screwed,” and “That is really, really scary.” Eliza Gonzalez stated “Shame on whoever is trying to normalize this. Horrific and terrifying.” Natasha Lyonne even called for a boycott on any agency who signs Norwood, writing “Any talent agency that engages in this should be boycotted by all guilds” and that it is “deeply misguided & totally disturbed”.
What’s Next with Tilly Norwood?
Despite the amount of controversy Tilly Norwood has prompted, Van Der Velden has stated that it has attracted attention of multiple talent agents and said “When we first launched Tilly, people were like, ‘No that’s not going to happen,’ and now we’re going to announce which agency is going to be representing her in the next few months. So it is all changing and everyone is starting to see the light fortunately.”
While there is no confirmation of any talent agencies considering Tilly, it is a possibility that companies will utilize this tool to cut production costs, among other technical benefits.
Whether you see Norwood as a useful tool or advancement in technology, or as a threat to human actors and human creativity, it certainly won’t be the first of its kind. As AI continues to rapidly advance, it is a possibility that the lines between reality and AI in modern cinema will be blurred.
