By Gavin Boyle
After talent agencies expressed their interest in AI actress Tilly Norwood, multiple actors have voiced their rage that the industry would normalize non-human workers.
“We were in a lot of boardrooms around February time, and everyone was like, ‘No, this is nothing. It’s not going to happen.’ Then, by May, people were like, ‘We need to do something with you guys.’ When we first launched Tilly, people were like, ‘What’s that?’, and now we’re going to be announcing which agency is going to be representing her in the next few months,” explained Eline Van der Velden, the creator of Norwood.
Since this news broke, many actors have expressed their disgust that an agency would even consider signing an AI creation.
Related: Hollywood Producer Calls AI ‘A Tool That Enhances Human Creativity’
“Hope all actors repped by the agent that does this, drops [them]. How gross, read the room,” said Melissa Barrera.
“Out the agents. I want names,” added Kiersey Clemons.
Van der Velden has since released a statement explaining why she does not see Norwood as a threat to the industry but rather as a new tool like many other technologies that have streamlined the production process.
“To those who have expressed anger over the creation of my AI character, Tilly Norwood, she is not a replacement for a human being, but a creative work – a piece of art,” Van der Velden wrote on Instagram. “Like many forms of art before her, she sparks conversation, and that in itself shows the power of creativity.”
“I see AI not as a replacement for people, but as a new tool, 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. I’m an actor myself, and nothing – certainly not an AI character – can take away the craft or joy of human performance,” she continued.
Many other proponents of the industry’s use of AI have made a similar argument throughout the years, but most still view it as something different. Earlier this year, Disney had the opportunity to introduce an AI-generated character to its upcoming TRON: ARES – which centers around AI agents – but chose to go a different direction over fear of public backlash.
Nonetheless, the creation of Norwood highlights the fact that the inclusion of AI in the entertainment industry seems inevitable, even as backlash to the technology continues to slow its uptake by studios.
Read Next: Disney Almost Included AI-Written Character in Upcoming TRON Movie
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