The controversy around the \u201cAI actor\u201d Tilly Norwood continues to grow, after the actors\u2019 union Sag-Aftra condemned the development and said Norwood\u2019s creators were \u201cusing stolen performances\u201d.<\/p>\n
Sag-Aftra released a statement<\/a> after the AI \u201ctalent studio\u201d Xicoia unveiled its creation<\/a> at the Zurich film festival, prompting an immediate backlash from actors including Melissa Barrera, Mara Wilson and Ralph Ineson. Sag-Aftra said it believed creativity was, \u201cand should remain, human-centred. The union is opposed to the replacement of human performers by synthetics.\u201d<\/p>\n The union added: \u201cTo be clear, \u2018Tilly Norwood\u2019 is not an actor, it\u2019s a character generated by a computer program that was trained on the work of countless professional performers \u2013 without permission or compensation \u2026 It doesn\u2019t solve any \u2018problem\u2019 \u2013 it creates the problem of using stolen performances to put actors out of work, jeopardising performer livelihoods and devaluing human artistry.\u201d<\/p>\n Norwood appears in a short film called AI Commissioner, produced by Particle6, whose CEO, Eline Van Der Velden, said was \u201c100% AI generated\u201d<\/a>. Van Der Velden, who launched Xicoia<\/a> at Zurich, issued a statement on Sunday<\/a> defending the film, saying: \u201cI see AI not as a replacement for people, but as a new tool \u2013 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Van Der Velden added: \u201cCreating Tilly has been, for me, an act of imagination and craftsmanship, not unlike drawing a character, writing a role or shaping a performance. It takes time, skill and iteration to bring such a character to life.\u201d<\/p>\n The Smashing Machine star Emily Blunt also added her voice to film industry members aghast at Norwood\u2019s creation, telling a Variety podcast<\/a>: \u201cGood Lord, we\u2019re screwed. That is really, really scary, Come on, agencies, don\u2019t do that. Please stop. Please stop taking away our human connection.\u201d<\/p>\n Natasha Lyonne, the Russian Doll star who is working on a feature film using \u201cethical\u201d AI<\/a>, was also vocal in her disapproval, saying on social media<\/a>: \u201cAny talent agency that engages in this should be boycotted by all guilds. Deeply misguided & totally disturbed. Not the way. Not the vibe. Not the use.\u201d<\/p>\n