Tilly The 'AI Actor' Is Fake, But Her Potential To Harm Women Is Real

<div class="content-list-component text"><p>There’s a new Hollywood newcomer who already has a long list of haters: <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ai-actor-tilly-norwood-backlash_n_68ddab62e4b06c0a3a8c547c" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tilly Norwood, the AI-generated “actor”.</a></p><p>Dutch comedian Eline Van der Velden, the head of AI production studio Particle6, which developed Tilly, <a href="https://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/broadcast-international/how-a-uk-prodco-is-building-the-first-ai-star/5207303.article" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said</a> she wants the AI character to be the next Scarlett Johansson.</p><p>But not if the rest of Hollywood has its way.</p><p>After Van der Velden announced what she calls “the world’s first artificial intelligence talent studio” at a film festival and said <a href="https://variety.com/2025/film/global/ai-actress-tilly-norwood-talent-agents-zurich-summit-1236533454/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tilly had talent agents hoping to sign her</a>, this news of potential representation sparked widespread Hollywood backlash.</p><p>Multiple actors’ unions <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/tilly-norwood-ai-actress-uk-union-equity-sag-aftra-debate-1236391739/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">have</a><a href="https://www.sagaftra.org/sag-aftra-statement-synthetic-performer" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">released</a> statements condemning Tilly. Actors have also accused Tilly’s makers of stealing real people’s images to make the AI-generated character.</p><p>“And what about the hundreds of living young women whose faces were composited together to make her?