{"id":205592,"date":"2025-10-06T20:13:12","date_gmt":"2025-10-06T20:13:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/205592\/"},"modified":"2025-10-06T20:13:12","modified_gmt":"2025-10-06T20:13:12","slug":"hollywood-actors-union-slams-ai-actress-tilly-norwood-as-backlash-builds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/205592\/","title":{"rendered":"Hollywood Actors Union Slams ‘AI Actress’ Tilly Norwood as Backlash Builds"},"content":{"rendered":"

In brief
\nSAG-AFTRA said Tilly Norwood \u201cis not an actor\u201d and has \u201cno life experience to draw from.\u201d
\nCreator Eline Van der Velden defended Norwood as a \u201cnew paintbrush\u201d rather than a replacement for human performers.
\nEntertainers join the growing backlash, calling AI entertainment \u201cscary\u201d and lacking a real connection.<\/p>\n

Leading actors labor union SAG-AFTRA on Tuesday condemned the rise of Tilly Norwood<\/a>, an AI-generated \u201cactress\u201d developed by London-based Xicoia, calling the synthetic performer a threat to human entertainers.<\/p>\n

The character, developed by comedian and technologist Eline Van der Velden\u2014who spun off Xicoia from her production company Particle6\u2014was unveiled last week at the Zurich Summit during the Zurich Film Festival in Switzerland, and immediately drew online attention. Van der Velden said multiple talent agents are already interested in signing<\/a> the artificial personality.<\/p>\n

SAG-AFTRA, however, drew a sharp line between human performers and digital creations.<\/p>\n

\u201c\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\u2014without permission or compensation,\u201d SAG-AFTRA said<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The union criticized the creation, saying that it \u201chas no life experience to draw from, no emotion.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom what we\u2019ve seen, audiences aren\u2019t interested in watching computer-generated content untethered from the human experience,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n

According to SAG-AFTRA, projects like Tilly Norwood \u201ccreate the problem of using stolen performances to put actors out of work, jeopardizing performer livelihoods and devaluing human artistry.\u201d<\/p>\n

The guild also warned producers that they \u201cmay not use synthetic performers without complying with our contractual obligations, which require notice and bargaining whenever a synthetic performer is going to be used.\u201d<\/p>\n

Particle6 did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Decrypt.<\/p>\n

A \u201cnew tool\u201d or a replacement?<\/p>\n

In an Instagram post<\/a>, Van der Velden defended Norwood as a creative experiment rather than a threat, likening the project to animation, puppetry, and CGI. \u201cI see AI not as a replacement for people, but as a new tool, a new paintbrush,\u201d she wrote.<\/p>\n

\u201cCreating Tilly has been, for me, an act of imagination and craftsmanship, not unlike drawing a character, writing a role, or shaping a performance,\u201d she said. \u201cShe represents experimentation, not substitution.\u201d<\/p>\n

But pushback in Hollywood was already growing.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood Lord, we\u2019re screwed,\u201d Oscar-nominated actor Emily Blunt said<\/a>, reacting to an image of Norwood during a recent interview. \u201cThat is really, really scary.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe problem with this is that you are suddenly up against something that’s been generated with 5,000 other actors,\u201d Oscar winner Whoopi Goldberg said<\/a> on The View. \u201cIt’s got Betty Davis’s attitude, it’s got Humphrey Bogart’s humor, it’s got my humor. So, it’s a little bit of an unfair advantage, but you know what? Bring it on.\u201d<\/p>\n

For SAG-AFTRA, the backlash to Norwood echoes past labor battles. Artificial intelligence was a flashpoint in the union\u2019s months-long 2023 strike<\/a>, when actors demanded protections against their likenesses and performances being replicated without consent.<\/p>\n

Despite the warnings, Van der Velden remains upbeat about AI\u2019s place in entertainment.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope we can welcome AI as part of the wider artistic family,\u201d she wrote. \u201cWhen we celebrate all forms of creativity, we open doors to new voices, new stories, and new ways of connecting with each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

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