Hollywood debates rise of AI actress at Zurich festival

WASHINGTON: Artificial intelligence met Hollywood controversy this weekend after the unveiling of Tilly Norwood, the world’s first AI actress, at the Zurich Film Festival.

Following news that talent agents were already interested in signing the digital star, backlash erupted across the acting community.

Eline Van der Velden, the actress, producer, and creator behind Norwood, addressed the uproar in a statement posted on Instagram.

“To those who have expressed anger over the creation of my AI character, Tilly Norwood, she is not a replacement for a human being, but a creative work – a piece of art,” Van der Velden wrote.

She compared AI technology to tools like animation, puppetry, or CGI, emphasizing that none of these innovations replaced live performance. “I’m an actor myself, and nothing – certainly not an AI character – can take away the craft or joy of human performance,” she added.

Norwood is the first character created by Xicoia, a new AI talent studio spun off from Van der Velden’s production company, Particle6. Van der Velden revealed that discussions about launching the project began as early as February, with initial skepticism quickly shifting to interest by May.

“When we first launched Tilly, people said, ‘What’s that?’ and now we will announce which agency will manage its activities in the next few months,” Van der Velden told Deadline.

Norwood has already started building a social media presence and even announced her first acting role in a sitcom titled AI Commissioner, a comedy exploring the future of television.

The idea of an AI actress joining the entertainment industry has angered many actors. Melissa Barrera called on fellow performers to drop any agent who signs Norwood, writing: “Hope all actors repped by the agent that does this, drop their a$$. How gross, read the room.”

Actress Kiersey Clemons demanded that agencies considering Norwood be publicly named, while Mara Wilson criticized the use of real women’s faces as composited references for the AI character.

Others took a more humorous approach. Lukas Gage joked that Norwood was “late to set” and “couldn’t hit her mark,” while Toni Collette reacted with a series of screaming emojis

Despite the criticism, Van der Velden remains firm in her vision. She has stated her ambition for Norwood to become “the next Scarlett Johansson or Natalie Portman.”

Speaking to Broadcast International earlier this year, she acknowledged that negative responses were expected but insisted that the project would eventually earn support once audiences saw what Xicoia could create.

While no release date has been confirmed for AI Commissioner, Norwood’s debut marks the start of what Van der Velden hopes will be a series of AI-driven projects redefining how stories are told.