Tilly Norwood is a brand-new actress making her debut in Hollywood. She has a strong media presence and already has agents lining up to sign her. The kicker? She is completely AI-generated. There has been much debate over the usage of artificial intelligence in creative spaces, but none is quite as egregious as that of Tilly Norwood.
Norwood was created by Eline Van der Velden with the AI production company Particle6. Van der Velden claims that Norwood is just a tool and that “nothing – certainly not an AI character – can take away the craft or joy of human performance.” Despite Van der Velden’s intentions, Norwood has sparked outrage from many big names in Hollywood. In an interview with Variety, Emily Blunt declared that “we’re screwed” and it’s “really, really scary.” While Mara Wilson posted, “And what about the hundreds of living young women whose faces were composited together to make her? You couldn’t hire any of them?”
Particle6 posted a comedy sketch on July 30, 2025, which acts as Norwood’s debut: “Featuring Tilly Norwood — our fully screen-ready AI actress, designed for any role and always ready to perform.” The sketch is unsettling, unappealing, and unfunny. Not only is it made entirely of AI, but it’s a testament to how out of place AI is in entertainment..
Norwood is just the first of its kind; Xicoia (Norwood’s AI talent studio) plans to start a new generation of these AI actors. Norwood and its future cohorts could threaten the livelihood of actors everywhere if big-name companies employ them instead of real people.
The future of TV may be bleak if AI continues to replace talented writers, actors, and directors. Norwood’s creators can make all the claims they want about Norwood being a simple “tool,” but when push comes to shove, Norwood has the potential to put actors everywhere out of work.
Source: AI Actress Tilly Norwood Condemned by SAG-AFTRA: Tilly ‘Is Not an Actor… It Has No Life Experience to Draw From, No Emotion’