SAG‑AFTRA Condemns AI Actress Tilly Norwood

Tilly Norwood is an AI‑generated “actress” created by Eline Van der Velden’s AI studios (Xicoia/Particle6) and was unveiled at the Zurich Film Festival via an Instagram persona and a short AI‑made sketch. Creators have pitched Norwood as a castable composite performer — reportedly even as the “next Scarlett Johansson” — and talent agencies have expressed interest in representing her. The model was reportedly trained on the work of numerous real performers, which intensified backlash. The Screen Actors Guild‑American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG‑AFTRA) condemned Norwood as a “synthetic performer,” said she was created without performers’ permission or compensation, and warned producers about contractual and bargaining obligations. High‑profile actors including Emily Blunt, Whoopi Goldberg, Sophie Turner and Melissa Barrera publicly denounced the project, raising ethical and labor concerns about composite faces and job displacement. Van der Velden defended Tilly as “a creative work” and “a new paintbrush,” but the episode has reignited debates over how studios, agencies and unions will govern the use of synthetic performers as generative AI reshapes entertainment.