AI Actress Creator Insists Controversial Digital Star Is 'Not Malicious'
When Dutch actress, comedian and physicist Eline Van der Velden unveiled the world's first AI actress last year, she anticipated curiosity but not the firestorm of criticism that followed from Hollywood heavyweights. Tilly Norwood, an 'English rose' with 90,000 Instagram followers, appears as a typical aspiring actress but exists solely as a digital creation from Van der Velden's Particle6 Group.
Hollywood's Fierce Opposition
The backlash erupted when Tilly was introduced at the Zurich Summit and announced she would sign with an agency. Sag-Aftra denounced the creation for 'devaluing human artistry,' while Emily Blunt called the development 'terrifying.' Natasha Lyonne described Tilly as 'deeply misguided and totally disturbed.' The response grew so severe that Van der Velden received death threats.
'She is not a replacement for a human being, but a creative work – a piece of art,' Van der Velden wrote in response to the criticism. 'Nothing – certainly not an AI character – can take away the craft or joy of human performance.'
Diverging International Reactions
Van der Velden postulates that the dramatically different reactions between the UK (largely positive) and the US (overwhelmingly negative) stem from economic factors. 'There were a lot more working actors who thought this might take their jobs in the US,' she explained. 'The size and commercialisation of the US market also meant that innovation is a lot more difficult there.'
The Creative Experiment Behind Tilly
The concept for Tilly emerged when Van der Velden noticed AI influencers appearing in her social media feeds. 'It was like a creative experiment,' she said. 'I am a scientist as well as an artist and I thought "let me try this out and see what I can do."' She emphasizes that the project was never intended maliciously and insists Tilly wasn't designed to take anyone's employment.
Despite being described as 'the next Scarlett Johansson or Natalie Portman,' Tilly won't appear alongside human co-stars. Instead, she'll feature exclusively in AI-generated content within what Van der Velden calls the 'Tillyverse,' with several productions already in development.
AI as Creative Renaissance
Van der Velden views AI actors as the next evolutionary step for the screen industry, predicting a 'creative renaissance' is imminent. She sees embracing the technology as a way to 'future-proof' her career and describes Tilly as an 'extension' of herself – a 'vessel' through which to act.
'You can still be creative – all those creative thoughts still go into Tilly when she needs to become a new character,' Van der Velden explained. 'All of that creative energy and skill is in there. I've been more creative than ever before – even more so than as an actor.'
Addressing Misconceptions and Job Concerns
The creator acknowledges that one major misconception about AI actors is that they require minimal effort to create. In reality, 15 people collaborated to develop Tilly's appearance, personality, and universe.
'People just think it's a button you press and she gets created,' Van der Velden noted. 'As opposed to there being a whole team working to create her and build up a whole universe and brain – what she thinks, sounds and looks like.'
Addressing fears about job displacement, she argues that AI is actually creating new employment opportunities. 'It's actually hiring a crazy amount of people for jobs that haven't existed before,' she observed. 'So actually, I think it's job creation that is happening rather than job losses.'
The Future of AI in Entertainment
Despite the controversy, several directors have expressed interest in working with Tilly, though they remain anonymous due to concerns about backlash. Van der Velden predicts that in coming years, 'very few films will be made without AI' – comparing the technology to essential utilities like electricity or Wi-Fi.
'We understand it's tricky out there,' she said. 'But we are giving people time to accept that this is where it is going.'
While she didn't anticipate the scale of the response, Van der Velden doesn't apologize for her groundbreaking creation. 'As an artist you just want to spark a conversation – it doesn't matter if positive or negative,' she concluded. 'That's the point of the art – creating something to get people talking and we did that and I'm really happy.'
