Overview

• Tilly Norwood is a fully AI-created actress introduced by Eline Van der Velden’s startup Xicoia after her years producing AI video at Particle 6.
• The venture was presented around the Zurich Film Festival, including a Deadline-led panel where a fully AI-made short was noted for its realism.
• Actors including Melissa Barrera and Mara Wilson publicly denounced the project, with Wilson accusing the creators of exploiting real women’s faces.
• Van der Velden said Tilly is not a replacement for human performers and characterized the character as an artistic work akin to animation or VFX.
• According to Van der Velden, several talent agencies and some streaming-platform studios have expressed interest, highlighting unresolved questions over jobs, consent and commercial use.