The potential use of AI in the entertainment industry has been an increasingly hot topic for the past several years, featuring prominently in the negotiations between Hollywood’s writers and actors and the movie studios during the labor strikes in 2023. This week, the “actress” Tilly Norwood offered another data point for discussion.
Tilly Norwood is not a real person, but rather a computer-generated actress created by Xicoia, an AI Studio launched by the flesh-and-blood Dutch actress Eline Van der Velden. Norwood gained notoriety by posting a series of comedy sketch videos on her Instagram profile, portraying the computer-generated Norwood as an aspiring actress in London who likes iced coffee.
Norwood drew the industry’s attention this week when Van Der Velden indicated “several talent agencies” were looking to sign Norwood. This would represent the first time a talent agency had signed an AI-generated actress.
Much discussion ensued, with some individual actors and their union representatives sounding the alarm. The potential for AI to replace actors and other jobs in the industry has been a concern for years. Studios have also filed multiple lawsuits against AI companies, including OpenAI and Midjourney, for their unauthorized use of copyrighted material to generate AI content.
On the other hand, studios like Lionsgate and Amazon MGM have begun utilizing AI as a tool for writing scripts and creating visual effects. While the industry backlash to Norwood was loud, she could be another milestone in AI’s ever-expanding role in Hollywood.
