Hollywood Union Criticizes AI Actress Tilly Norwood Amid Industry Backlash

The entertainment industry is facing controversy over Tilly Norwood, an AI-generated actress created by Eline Van der Velden and promoted as the "next Scarlett Johansson or Natalie Portman." Hollywood actors and industry figures have strongly criticized the character, condemning the use of AI to replicate human performers without permission and warning it threatens actors' livelihoods and devalues human artistry. Notable voices, including Melissa Barrera and Mara Wilson, have called for boycotts of agencies supporting AI performers, highlighting ethical concerns about the composite use of real faces and the impact on working actors. Van der Velden defends Tilly as a creative work and a new artistic tool, comparing AI to animation or CGI, emphasizing that AI characters are not replacements but experimental art forms that offer new storytelling possibilities. Despite the backlash, some industry insiders acknowledge that AI adoption is accelerating, with studios and broadcasters beginning to embrace the technology for cost and creative flexibility. The debate underscores ongoing tensions between technological innovation and the preservation of human creativity and employment in Hollywood.