Topline
The SAG-AFTRA actors union slammed an AI-generated “actress,” Tilly Norwood, which has roiled Hollywood since it was unveiled by an AI studio over the weekend, stating the computer-generated character cannot emote like a human, will put actors out of work and was developed using actors’ performances without permission.
The AI-generated “actress” has already sparked blowback from some actors. (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)
AFP via Getty Images
Key Facts
SAG-AFTRA, which represents more than 160,000 actors and other entertainment workers, said Tuesday morning “creativity is, and should remain, human-centered,” stating it is “opposed to the replacement of human performers by synthetics.”
The union said Tilly Norwood is “not an actor” and has “no life experience to draw from,” suggesting audiences aren’t interested in watching computer-generated performers “untethered from the human experience.”
SAG-AFTRA alleged the computer-generated actress was trained using the performances of other actors who were not compensated and did not give permission.
The union said the use of AI-generated performers could put human actors out of work, “jeopardizing performer livelihoods and devaluing human artistry.”
The union warned signatory producers may not use synthetic performers without complying with the union’s contractual obligations, which require notice and bargaining.
SAG-AFTRA’s statement comes two years after the use of AI was a crucial issue in the nearly four-month-long Hollywood labor strikes, after which the union struck a deal requiring studios to “bargain in good faith” if they wanted to use an AI-generated performer instead of a human actor.
Who Else Has Criticized Tilly Norwood?
Whoopi Goldberg, an Oscar-winning actress, suggested on “The View” on Monday audiences would not enjoy watching an AI-generated actress. “You can always tell them from us. We move differently, our faces move differently, our bodies move differently,” Goldberg said. Emily Blunt, an Oscar nominee, sat for an interview with Variety on Monday and had not yet heard of Norwood, but reacted with shock when the interviewer described the AI-generated performer to her. “I don’t know how to quite answer it, other than to say how terrifying this is,” Blunt said, adding: “Good Lord, we’re screwed. That is really, really scary, Come on, agencies, don’t do that. Please stop. Please stop taking away our human connection.” Actress Melissa Barrera said on her Instagram that any actor signed to an agent who signs Norwood should “drop their a$$. How gross, read the room.” “What about the hundreds of living young women whose faces were composited together to make her? You couldn’t hire any of them?” actress Mara Wilson said.
What Is Tilly Norwood?
The AI-generated performer was created by Eline Van der Velden, an actor and producer who announced the launch of AI talent studio Xicoia at the Zurich Film Festival over the weekend. At the festival, Van der Velden said she wants “Tilly to be the next Scarlett Johansson or Natalie Portman,” claiming multiple studios were interested in using her AI creation. “People are realizing that their creativity doesn’t need to be boxed in by a budget – there are no constraints creatively and that’s why AI can really be a positive,” Van der Velden said. In response to backlash from some actors, Van der Velden said Norwood is “not a replacement for a human being, but a creative work — a piece of art,” comparing the AI performer to animation or puppetry. Van der Velden created an Instagram profile for Norwood in May, which has more than a dozen posts depicting the AI creation appearing to do human activities, like going to a café, writing an essay or going shopping. The account has more than 36,000 followers, and in its bio, the creation claims it is London-based and an aspiring actress. Norwood’s recent posts include “stills” from acting tests and a short clip of the AI performing acting in what appears to be an action movie. “I may be AI, but I’m feeling very real emotions right now. I am so excited for what’s coming next!” the caption for one of Norwood’s posts says.
Further Reading
AI Actress Tilly Norwood Debuts at Zurich Summit as Industry Grapples With Emerging Tech: We Want Her ‘to Be the Next Scarlett Johansson’ (Variety)
Creator Of Controversial AI Actress Tilly Norwood Puts Out Statement Following Backlash: “She Is Not A Replacement For A Human Being” (Deadline)
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