AI Actress Tilly Norwood Debuts at Zurich Summit as Industry Grapples with Emerging Tech: We Want Her “to Be the Next Scarlett Johansson.” (2025, October 3). Photo Credit: Variety
What happens when Hollywood’s next rising start isn’t human?
Tilly Norwood is an AI generated character that was created this year by Xicoia, an AI talent studio.
From a distance, Norwood is everything Cinema needs–she has flawless skin, doesn’t age, doesn’t demand a pay raise and is easily manipulated to fit any storyline that hits the screens.
However, she is also Hollywood’s nightmare.
Tilly Norwood appears to be an aspiring young actress who is openly excited for her career development. Norwood’s creators took to her social media, stating, “I may be AI, but I am feeling very real emotions right now… I am so excited for what’s coming next.”
If Hollywood doesn’t contain this new addition, it will only get worse.
As artificial intelligence continues to advance, more people are filled with anxiety about being replaced by technology. Hollywood stars have the right to be concerned and panicked.
Many actors and actresses have spent years perfecting their craft for the big screens. They have been honored with accolades that they worked hard for, bringing stories to life for their respective audience.
To sit back and watch their talent be replaced by an artificial tool is disrespectful to them and to the industry. Creativity should remain human-centered.
Eline Van Der Velden, the creator of AI’s Tilly Norwood, stated that she would like to see Norwood become the “next Scarlett Johansson.”
Tilly Norwood is not an imitation but a replacement for the talents that are already in the industry. Nevertheless, while her creators refer to her as an “experiment”, critics, including SAG-AFTRA, refer to Norwood as a threat to the very soul of performance.
Acting isn’t simply reciting lines; it’s about the ability to tell a story and evoke emotion while embodying a character–all human traits.
A digital face like that of Tilly Norwood’s might mimic emotion, but she doesn’t feel it. She doesn’t have what it takes to bring acting to life.
In the past, the arrival of computer-generated imagery (CGI) once prompted fears that sets, props and stunt performers would vanish.
Although they didn’t, the industry changed. Filmmakers were able to use special effects to enhance human stories without replacing them.
AI acting is different. It poses a threat to Hollywood’s actors and actresses. The danger in this is that in chasing innovation, we lose sight of why we tell stories at all.
SAG-AFTRA expressed its disapproval of the actress, stating, “The Union is opposed to the replacement of human performers by synthetics.”
The union referred to Norwood’s creation as a problem for the future of Hollywood. “It creates the problem of using stolen performances to put actors out of work, jeopardizing performer livelihoods and devaluing human artistry”.
Tilly Norwood is just a start of many more AI-generated characters. If the replacement of humans with AI continues, the industry will lose its authenticity.
Hollywood has always utilized a machine of illusion. However, beneath the costumes and cameras, it’s the human element that gives stories life, and we cannot afford to lose that.
