Use of AI actress Tilly Norwood sparks backlash in the art community and Hollywood
The rapid advancement of AI is something we are increasingly familiar with, especially on social media. AI is reshaping social media, technology, science, and any creative industries. AI is revolutionizing the way we think and see creativity, and now it has infiltrated one of the biggest creative industries: Hollywood. The recent development of an AI actress named Tilly Norwood has sparked widespread backlash across social media and among people in America. On a panel at the Zurich Film Festival, Particle6, a video production company, announced the creation of its AI character. While the creator of this character has stood behind the backlash and anger, arguing Tilly is a “creative piece of work”, many Hollywood actors and other individuals remain terrified and condemn the creation and use of AI in film. While it is evident that AI can produce high-quality content in the art world and make significant enhancements to creativity, is AI ruining the creative industry? This AI actress has stirred up both chaos and fascination in Hollywood and on social media. This has sparked questions of how AI is replacing human jobs in creative arts, as well as the erasure of true human emotion and life experience in the arts.
Industry backlash from actors and others within the entertainment industry
The news of AI actress Tilly Norwood has, of course, sparked a lot of conversation and fear in Hollywood and among people in the entertainment industry. There has already been a conversation surrounding the role of AI in Hollywood and in the film industry, including the use of AI in movies, animations, and more. Former child actress Mara Wilson commented on Instagram regarding a Deadline post about Norwood, “They have stolen the faces of hundreds of young women to make this AI ‘actress.’ They’re not creators. They’re identity thieves.” SAG-AFTRA, in a statement to Vanity Fair, said the union “believes creativity is, and should remain, human-centered. The union is opposed to the replacement of human performers by synthetics.” There has also been an ongoing conversation in Hollywood about technology and AI in the movie industry, replacing human jobs. Actors in the industry have described Tilly as “thoughtless”, “disturbing”, and “scary”. Hollywood actors, directors, writers, and others in the industry have been arguing that their work is being used to train AI models without any sort of compensation or consent. An article by CNN titled Hollywood is fuming over a new ‘AI actress’ says, “Top media companies have begun to go after AI companies for generating content that they say infringes on their intellectual property.” The instagram post below is a Variety post made on October 1, where actress Emily Blunt talks about her disapproval of Tilly Norwood and the dangers of AI in Hollywood.
During a premiere for her upcoming movie last month, Emily Blunt learned about the news of Tilly Norwood, where she immediately expressed disappointment. This is one of the many social media posts where an actor or other individual from Hollywood has expressed their concern. Many others have made their stance against Tilly very clear, expressing apprehension about AI's role in the arts.
Ethical concern of AI and lack of authenticity/emotion
Ethical boundaries within AI have been a topic of conversation for years now, not just within the movie industry but within several different industries and companies. Many worry about the use of manipulation and the erasure of human depictions through AI in film. AI has allowed for more unique forms of storytelling, but too much power can result in more of a challenge than a creative plus. As mentioned above, many film companies have claimed that Tilly was trained by the hard work of many professional actors without permission or compensation. What counts as synthetic performance? Should there be more laws surrounding how rights and compensation work in this industry? Many also argue that you can’t replicate true emotion and human presence through an online character. There is no life experience or emotion to truly draw from. When we think about authenticity in acting, we think of real lived experiences, emotions, unscripted responses, and the ability for actors to draw from their memories, feelings, and history. Many critics argue that the performance cannot truly be authentic and are too fundamentally different from human actors. As SAG-AFTRA frankly put it, “Tilly has no life experience to draw from, no emotion.”
Can audiences truly connect to an AI-generated actor or character? A TikTok video by CBS Mornings from September 30, reports on the controversy over the AI-Generated actress and the harm it could bring to not just Hollywood, but other industries and jobs.
Loss of diversity and realism in the arts
To add to the conversation of ethical authenticity and emotion in the film industry, there is a loss of diversity and realism in the arts when you introduce AI. AI-powered actors or characters are able to be created very rapidly and at a fraction of the cost of human labour. This could very quickly lead to a decline of job opportunities in the creative industry. One of the greatest parts of the arts is the depth, authenticity, and stories that human-created works embody. Diversity in the arts fosters a sense of belonging, allows for diverse stories, creativity, greater representation, and more. Diversity in the arts allows for more voices to be heard and stereotypes to be challenged. In an article titled Diversity of Cultural Expressions by UNESCO, “The biggest concern is protecting cultural diversity, supporting the next generation, empowering young creators to be able to sustain a living but to also add their contribution and be represented in this world.” AI models can be skewed towards particular beauty standards, races, ethnicities, stereotypes, and more. The homogenization of appearance amongst AI models can result in a loss of realism and voices in the film industry. A TikTok video by Brut Media on September 30 follows the story of Tilly, showing videos and pictures, and giving us background information about the new "actress".
Both @CBS Mornings and @Brut Media are two highly known news organizations who have expressed concern over Tilly Norwood and AI in the film industry. Media coverage has raised ethical concern and skepticism, as well as spread information and start discussions around this AI actress.
Conclusion
The discourse of AI actress Tilly Norwood in the media has sparked a lot of conversation around the future of Hollywood. Most industry organizations and members of this industry have strongly opposed the use of an AI performer. They emphasize the fact that AI lacks human experience and connection and cannot truly display real storytelling. Tilly Norwood has further sparked the conversation of replacing humans with technology and dismissing human artistry. While searching social media, many people expressed backlash in posts and videos about Tilly, saying, “AI is destroying art”. There is no experience with automated actors. As corporations and AI companies continue to introduce AI into the creative industry, it will be interesting to see how the debate continues and what action will be taken.
Sources:
https://www.unesco.org/creativity/en/articles/unesco-spurs-solution-based-discussions-over-impact-ai-and-emergencies-artistic-freedom
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/30/tech/hollywood-ai-actor-backlash
https://www.abc.net.au/religion/why-ai-actor-tilly-norwood-is-not-a-work-of-art/105867814
https://raindance.org/ai-in-filmmaking-navigating-the-new-creative-landscape/
https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/ai-actor-tilly-norwood-controversy-hollywood-reacts?srsltid=AfmBOorctcg0dsHFLpvFJt101KeKyP9ZNRYk-EQtZChIIKEGoApGtnG3
