Recently, there has been a stir in Hollywood over an “actress” created by artificial intelligence (AI) named Tilly Norwood. Since the debut of this new technological performer, many actors and performers have expressed concerns , Emily Blunt being one of them.
Tilly Norwood was created by an AI talent studio called Xicoia, which is run by Dutch comedian and producer Eline Van der Velden. Norwood first appeared on the “screen” in a short film called AI Commissioner, which is claimed to be 100% created by AI. According to the release, Norwood also runs an Instagram account and says that the agency wants to represent her as a “new breed of actress.”
Emily Blunt reacted to Norwood’s performance with a sarcastic tone. She said: “No, is this Saririus? Is this AI? Oh my, we are running out. This is really, really scary. Agencies, please stop this. Please stop taking away our human connection.” Blunt previously called this new effort “terrible” and dangerous for the real actor.
In addition to Blunt, Natasha Lyonne, Whoopi Goldberg, Melissa Barrera, Mara Wilson, and others have strongly criticized the idea. In particular, SAG-AFTRA, the union of members in the United States who represent actors, TV and radio artists, issued a strong statement, saying, “Creativity should be human-centered” and “reducing the human workplace by synthetic performers can be devastating.” SAG-AFTRA also noted that: Tilly Norwood’ is not an actress. It is a computer-generated character, created from the work of numerous professional performers without permission or compensation.
The uproar is serving as a warning to the industry worldwide. SAG-AFTRA has insisted that producers must provide notice and negotiate before using synthetic performers. Many agencies are already reconsidering AI-powered character representation, as there could be negative repercussions for such initiatives.
Norwood’s creators claim that this character is not a replacement for humans, but a new art medium like a new paintbrush shape. But critics argue that the benefits of AI-characters often abuse the merits of countless human talents and can undermine the fundamental sensibilities of the art.
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