Overview

• Tilly Norwood, a fully AI-generated avatar presented as an actress, debuted in a short sketch titled AI Commissioner at a Zurich film summit.
• Eline Van der Velden, founder of Particle6 and AI studio Xicoia, created the character and describes it as a creative tool comparable to animation rather than a replacement for human performers.
• SAG-AFTRA stated that “Tilly Norwood is not an actor” and said synthetic performers will require new bargaining provisions and mandatory notice.
• Actors including Emily Blunt, Whoopi Goldberg, Melissa Barrera, and Mara Wilson criticized the project, questioning emotional authenticity and raising consent and intellectual property concerns about how the face was built.
• Several Hollywood talent agencies have shown interest in representing the digital persona, signaling commercial curiosity despite vocal backlash.