Overview

• Van der Velden told a Zurich Summit panel that multiple talent agents are in talks to represent Tilly Norwood, with an agency announcement expected in the coming months.
• Actors including Melissa Barrera and Kiersey Clemons criticized the plan, with some urging boycotts of any agency that signs AI talent.
• In a statement posted on Instagram, Van der Velden said Tilly is an artistic experiment and argued AI should be viewed as another storytelling tool.
• Tilly has been soft-launched on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube and briefly appeared in Particle6’s AI-made sketch, with the character built using multiple tools including ChatGPT.
• Van der Velden and Luma AI’s Verena Puhm described a shift this year from studio skepticism in February to active interest by spring, as Xicoia promotes a broader portfolio of AI personas and early talks with stars and estates.