AI ‘actress’ Tilly Norwood: a threat or a stunt?

The emergence of AI ‘actress’ Tilly Norwood has sparked a rigorous debate across the internet with the vast majority in uproar, enraged that the future of cinema may turn into a low effort, AI generated mess that extinguishes the innate humanity of the art form. Others, however, believe that this is simply a publicity stunt to generate engagement, one that will fade into a nostalgic “remember when…”

Tilly Norwood’s creator, Eline Van Der Velden, made a statement amid the backlash explaining that “she is not a replacement for a human being, but a creative work- a piece of art.” So why are people still upset? The answer is simple: the idea that major companies can turn to artificial intelligence on a whim poses a major threat to actors who fight for fair pay and safe working conditions; what happens if actors are forced to relinquish boundaries because saying ‘no’ is the difference between having a job, and being replaced with AI? What happens if hundreds and thousands of actors are left with little to no opportunities because AI is more convenient?

That’s not to say this will certainly be the outcome- with the level of backlash from actors and audiences, companies stand to lose far more than gain if they journey down the path of AI under the guise of exploring these new technological advancements. People generally struggle to connect to media when they find themselves put off by inauthenticity- Tilly has often been criticised as being “uncanny.”

If we look back at a time before the big screens and flashing lights of Hollywood, there was a playwright, a stage, and the actors. The actors, while they may not have always been diverse, had always been human… until 1906, when the first ever animated film, ‘Humorous Phases of Funny Faces’ was released, forever changing cinema. Now actors could be drawn in, animated, coloured. The difference is that animation is an art form which still relies on a human touch and creativity- voice actors and illustrators- to bring it to life, whereas Tilly Norwood relies on blended data to create a distorted amalgamation of reality.

So, is Tilly Norwood a threat or a stunt? The answer is neither. Tilly Norwood is a tragedy wrapped in the illusion of technological advancement. The AI actress is a prime example of how casual commodification of entertainment for the sake of financial gain has slowly eaten away at the industry’s authenticity, leaving it a shell of what it once was.