‘A character generated by a computer program’ … 'AI actor' Tilly Norwood in AI Commissioner.Illustration: AI Commissioner short film produced by Particle 6‘A character generated by a computer program’ … 'AI actor' Tilly Norwood in AI Commissioner.Illustration: AI Commissioner short film produced by Particle 6Emily Blunt and Sag-Aftra join film industry condemnation of ‘AI actor’ Tilly NorwoodUS actors’ union joins stars in opposition to Norwood, which it says was created ‘using stolen performances’The controversy around the “AI actor” Tilly Norwood continues to grow, after the actors’ union Sag-Aftra condemned the development and said Norwood’s creators were “using stolen performances”.Sag-Aftra released a statementafter the AI “talent studio” Xicoiaunveiled its creationat the Zurich film festival, prompting an immediate backlash from actors including Melissa Barrera, Mara Wilson and Ralph Ineson. Sag-Aftra said it believed creativity was, “and should remain, human-centred. The union is opposed to the replacement of human performers by synthetics.”The union added: “To be clear, ‘Tilly Norwood’ is not an actor, it’s a character generated by a computer program that was trained on the work of countless professional performers – without permission or compensation … It doesn’t solve any ‘problem’ – it creates the problem of using stolen performances to put actors out of work, jeopardising performer livelihoods and devaluing human artistry.”Tilly Norwood: how scared should we be of the viral AI ‘actor’?Read moreNorwood appears in a short film called AI Commissioner, produced by Particle6, whose CEO, Eline Van Der Velden, said was“100% AI generated”. Van Der Velden, wholaunched Xicoiaat Zurich,issued a statement on Sundaydefending the film, saying: “I see AI not as a replacement for people, but as a new tool – a new paintbrush. Just as animation, puppetry, or CGI opened fresh possibilities without taking away from live acting, AI offers another way to imagine and build stories.”Van Der Velden added: “Creating Tilly has been, for me, an act of imagination and craftsmanship, not unlike drawing a character, writing a role or shaping a performance. It takes time, skill and iteration to bring such a character to life.”The Smashing Machine star Emily Blunt also added her voice to film industry members aghast at Norwood’s creation,telling a Variety podcast: “Good Lord, we’re screwed. That is really, really scary, Come on, agencies, don’t do that. Please stop. Please stop taking away our human connection.”Natasha Lyonne, the Russian Doll star who is working ona feature film using “ethical” AI, was also vocal in her disapproval,saying on social media: “Any talent agency that engages in this should be boycotted by all guilds. Deeply misguided & totally disturbed. Not the way. Not the vibe. Not the use.”Explore more on these topicsFilmEmily BluntUS unionsComputingArtificial intelligence (AI)newsShareReuse this content