By Isabella McHugh
Correspondent
Hollywood is in uproar over Tilly Norwood, the new, beautiful brunette AI actress.
Actors and actresses are speaking out. Among those voices is “A Quiet Place” star Emily Blunt. “Good Lord, we’re screwed. That is really, really scary. Come on, agencies, don’t do that,” Blunt urged in a statement.
While she hasn’t yet been signed, Norwood has attracted the attention of numerous talent agencies.
Variety magazine told Blunt that the CEO of Particle6, Eline Van der Velden, wanted Norwood “to be the next Scarlet Johansson,” to which Blunt responded, “but we have Scarlett Johansson.”
Norwood has been “posting” on her official Instagram account, and recently uploaded a video titled “AI Commissioner.”
People Magazine reported that the video received many spiteful comments, including one from the “Game of Thrones” star, Sophie Turner. “Wow… No thanks,” she wrote.
Turner wasn’t the only actor who disapproved of the video. “Nosferatu” star Ralph Ineson took to X and simply wrote “F**k off,” after hearing news of this development.
On Sept. 28, Van der Velden made an Instagram post, seemingly with the intent to diffuse the negative allegations. She claims that Norwood “is not a replacement for a human being, but a creative work – a piece of art.”
Van der Velden also made a point to say that “AI characters should be judged as part of their own genre” instead of being “compared directly with human actors.”
Actress Whoopi Goldberg isn’t so sure about that. On her show, The View, she said, “in [her] humble opinion,” actors are now “suddenly up against something that’s been generated with 5,000 other actors.” She believes that “it’s a little bit of an unfair advantage, but you know what? Bring it on. Because you can always tell them from us.”
Goldberg expressed her fears about the future of AI in the acting industry. “Maybe in two or three years it’ll be seamless,” she said, referring to the motions of AI in comparison to real people.
This is a reality many people fear, not only those in the industry. One user commented on the YouTube “AI Commissioner” video, “This is so dystopian.” The question then is, will society accept an AI actor on their screens?
Only time will reveal whether this becomes part of our reality or if a seemingly innocent AI actress crosses the line in society’s eyes.
Tilly Norwood is promoted as an AI actress who can be programmed in a short amount of time to do practically anything in films. (Photo courtesy of IMDb)
In the meantime, Particle6 has been working to craft the most polished and presentable image of Norwood for talent agencies.
“The girl next door vibes” is what they’re going for, as stated in their “AI Commissioner” video which was made entirely from AI.
“She’ll do anything I say, I’m already in love,” one of the AI men said in the video. That’s the selling point. Norwood just needs to be programmed, and her character can essentially do anything in a film.
In an Instagram caption, Norwood shared, “In 20 seconds I fought monsters, fled explosions, sold you a car, and nearly won an Oscar. All in a day’s work… literally!”
Once again, Particle6 capitalizes on the convenience of having an AI actress. The company also tries to promote a real person behind what they have created. They strategically post videos of Norwood speaking to her audience, presenting the illusion of true feelings.
“I may be AI, but I’m feeling very real emotions right now. I am so excited for what’s coming next,” another Instagram post read.
If pursued, this next step in the entertainment industry is something the world has yet to become accustomed to. AI, as of recent, has become a part of many people’s lives and is continuing on an upward trend. AI actors just may be the next step.
