AI production company “Xicoia” announced on September 27 that its first virtual female star, Tilly Norwood, will make her debut in Hollywood, sparking strong opposition in the entertainment industry. The largest actors’ union in Hollywood warned that signing AI-generated virtual actors could affect the job opportunities of real actors.
The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) issued a strongly worded statement on Tuesday, September 30, expressing concerns that AI creations may impact actors’ salaries, role opportunities, and job security.
AI star “Tilly Norwood” made her first appearance in a teaser video in July, produced by Particle6 Productions, an AI advertising and film company based in London. Norwood is the creation of Dutch comedian and technology expert Eline van der Velden, who announced Norwood’s upcoming Hollywood debut on September 27 at the Zurich Film Festival. The company is currently looking for agents for their virtual actors.
Several Hollywood stars immediately voiced their opposition to the possibility of virtual actors like Norwood being signed by talent agencies.
SAG-AFTRA represents approximately 160,000 actors, announcers, broadcast journalists, dancers, and other entertainment industry professionals.
In their statement, the union clarified that “Tilly Norwood” is not an actor but a character generated by a computer program trained on the works of numerous professional performers – without authorization or compensation. They emphasized that the AI character lacks real-life experiences and emotions, and based on their observations, audiences are not interested in computer-generated content detached from human experience.
In response, van der Velden stated that she believes AI is not meant to replace humans but rather to serve as a new tool or canvas for creativity. She described the creation of Tilly Norwood as a manifestation of imagination and craftsmanship.
She said, “Just as animation, puppetry, or computer-generated imagery (CGI) bring new possibilities to storytelling without replacing live performances, AI also offers another way to imagine and construct stories. As an actor myself, nothing – including AI characters – can diminish the skill or joy of human performance.”
Van der Velden revealed at the film festival that Tilly Norwood is expected to be signed by a talent agency in the coming months.
She has already launched the official website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok accounts for Norwood. The AI character has nearly 39,000 followers on Instagram and several fans on TikTok.
The day after the Zurich Film Festival (September 28), Oscar-nominated actress Abigail Breslin called for a boycott of Tilly Norwood.
Breslin took to social media urging actors to resist AI virtual actors and suggesting that if talent agencies want to sign AI actors, they should consider changing agents. She expressed concerns that this AI female star could be used by men to shape and control female roles.