The launch of Tilly Norwood, an artificial intelligence (AI) generated character created by London-based company Xicoia, has sparked criticism from Hollywood’s main performers’ union.
SAG-AFTRA argued that projects like this threaten working actors and weaken the value of real human expression.
The figure was introduced by comedian and technologist Eline Van der Velden at the Zurich Summit during the Zurich Film Festival in Switzerland.
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Van der Velden, who founded Xicoia after running her production firm Particle6, said several talent agencies had already shown interest in representing the artificial persona.
SAG-AFTRA stated that Tilly Norwood is not an actor but a program created from countless performances by professionals who were neither asked for permission nor paid for their work. The union added that the character “has no life experience to draw from, no emotion”.
The union also warned that these tools can be used to replace live performers, risking jobs and diminishing the value of authentic creativity. The group added that producers must follow union rules if they want to include such technology, which means they cannot bypass bargaining requirements.
Van der Velden described Norwood as a creative project rather than a threat. She compared the experiment to puppetry, animation, or CGI, writing that AI should be seen as a new tool.
Still, actors have voiced concerns. According to a report by Variety, Emily Blunt said:
Good Lord, we’re screwed. That is really, really scary.
Spotify recently introduced a set of rules to address the increasing use of AI in music creation. What do the rules include? Read the full story.
