Dutch-made AI "actrice" causing unrest in global film industry
The AI “actress” Tilly Norwood, developed by a Dutch actress Eline van der Velde, is causing a lot of unrest in the international film industry. The screen actors’ guild and several Hollywood stars, including Emily Blunt and Natasha Lyonne, have raised concerns about the AI creation and what it would mean for the future of the industry.
The AI "actress" can talk, wave, and cry. According to Van der Velde, Norwood is “in talks” with talent agencies and will soon be able to audition. “We want Norwood to be the next Scarlett Johansson or Natalie Portman, that’s the goal,” Van der Velden said about her creation last summer, according to NOS.
The people working in Hollywood seem less than thrilled with this development. SAG-AFTRA, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, called Norwood “a character generated by a computer program that was trained on the work of countless professional performers,” in a statement published this week. "It has no life experience to draw from, no emotion, and, from what we've seen, audiences aren't interested in watching computer-generated content untethered from the human experience.”
AI use was one of the main issues in the writers and actors' strikes two years ago, and SAG-AFTRA reminded agencies and studios that the use of this technology could violate contractual agreements secured in 2023. "It doesn't solve any 'problem' — it creates the problem of using stolen performances to put actors out of work, jeopardizing performer livelihoods and devaluing human artistry," the guild said.
Actress and filmmaker Lyonne, known for her leading roles in Russian Doll, Poker Face, and Orange is the New Black, called for a boycott of any talent agency that works with Norwood, according to the BBC.
Oscar-nominated actress Emily Blunt called Norwood “really, really scary,” speaking to Variety. “Come on, agencies, don't do that. Please stop. Please stop taking away our human connection."
Van der Velde responded to the backlash on Norwood’s Instagram profile, saying that her AI "actress" is “not a replacement for a human being, but a creative work - a piece of art.” She said that creating Norwood was “an act of imagination and craftsmanship, not unlike drawing a character, writing a role or shaping a performance," and it should be judged as “part of their own genre” instead of being compared to human actors.
