AI actress Tilly Norwood became the center of a heated debate in Hollywood after talent agencies showed interest in signing her.
The British 24-year-old character was created entirely by Eline Van der Velden and her team at Particle6.
Her existence sparked criticism from stars including Toni Collette, Emily Blunt, Amy Poehler and Ryan Reynolds.
However, SAG-AFTRA released a statement saying that Norwood lacked life experience and emotion, warning that audiences might not connect with computer-generated actors.
Van der Velden, however, addressed the backlash, clarifying that Tilly Norwood was not supposed to replace human actors.
She said the goal was to create a new form of storytelling, similar to animated characters and emphasised that real actors remained essential to the craft.
Over three years, Particle6 built a universe of AI characters, with Tilly leading the way. Van der Velden noted that the AI actress’ realism set her apart from other CGI personalities, like Lil Miquela.
He went on explained that the character was designed to reflect the talent and creative tradition of the U.K., where Van der Velden got to know acting.
Moreover, rhe AI actress was created using a mix of commercial tools and proprietary software.
Van der Velden shared that no real person’s likeness was used in the process, describing Tilly as a symbol of innovation, representing a new era in filmmaking.
Despite the backlash, interest in Tilly Norwood got massive, attracting attention from award-winning writers, directors, and actors.
Van der Velden further said that she hoped the character would spark conversation and inspire a shift in how Hollywood approaches storytelling in the era of AI.
