World's first AI actress Tilly Norwood breaks silence over agency deal controversy | indy100

Using artificial intelligence for companionship

Fox - 13 News / VideoElephant

A new and emerging actress may soon start appearing on screens. But there’s one significant twist: she’s entirely AI.

You may not have heard of Tilly Norwood, but talent agencies are reportedly eyeing the bot in the ever-growing landscape of AI and its capabilities.

At the Zurich Summit, held as part of the industry programme at the Zurich Film Festival, Tilly’s creator Eline Van der Velden revealed that studios have been quietly advancing AI projects.

“We were in a lot of boardrooms around February time, and everyone was like, ‘No, this is nothing. It’s not going to happen.’ Then, by May, people were like, ‘We need to do something with you guys,’” she shared to Deadline.

“When we first launched Tilly, people were like, ‘What’s that?,’ and now we’re going to be announcing which agency is going to be representing her in the next few months.”

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The revelation inevitably drew criticism on social media, with one user writing: "This is literally the mark of the end of the industry as we know it… say goodbye to actors. No one should be supporting this."

In response, another commented: "It'll do the world a huge favour to pull the plugs on AI."

Meanwhile, a third added: "Any actors signed to those 'talent' agencies should quit immediately."

Now, Tilly’s creator has broken her silence in a lengthy statement shared on Instagram.

"To those who have expressed anger over the creation of my AI character, Tilly Norwood, she is not a replacement for a human being, but a creative work – a piece of art. Like many forms of art before her, she sparks conversation, and that in itself shows the power of creativity," Van der Velden wrote.

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“I see AI not as a replacement for people, but as a new tool, a new paintbrush. Just as animation, puppetry, or CGI opened fresh possibilities without taking away from live acting, AI offers another way to imagine and build stories.

"I’m an actor myself, and nothing – certainly not an AI character – can take away the craft or joy of human performance,” she added.

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