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1h ago

SAG-AFTRA Condemns AI 'Actress' Tilly Norwood and Warns Producers on Synthetic Performers

The project’s creator portrays Tilly as a creative tool and says agency interest is growing.

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Image: Particle6 TV
The artificially-generated "Tilly Norwood" (main). Inset, actor Frances Fisher holds a sign that says "AI is not art" at a rally by striking writers and actors outside Paramount studios in Los Angeles on Friday, July 14, 2023. (AI; AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
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Overview

  • In a formal statement, SAG-AFTRA said Tilly Norwood is not an actor and alleged the system was trained on performers’ work without permission or compensation.
  • The union warned signatory producers that using synthetic performers requires notice and bargaining under contractual obligations shaped in the 2023 negotiations.
  • Eline Van der Velden, whose Particle6/Xicoia unveiled Tilly at the Zurich Summit, defended the character as a piece of art and a new tool, and has said an agency announcement is expected in the coming months.
  • Actors including Emily Blunt, Whoopi Goldberg, Melissa Barrera and Mara Wilson criticized the venture, with some calling for boycotts of any agency that signs the AI character.
  • Tilly’s online profiles predate the Zurich debut and include a July short titled AI Commissioner, while company executives describe plans to scale AI talent and cite cost savings as a key driver.