Talent Agents Circle AI Actress Tilly Norwood as Industry Shifts on Artificial Intelligence
LOS ANGELES, September 26, 2025 – Tilly Norwood, an actress generated by artificial intelligence, is poised to become one of the first AI-created performers to secure representation with a traditional talent agency. The potential signing signals a dramatic shift in Hollywood’s approach to AI,moving from cautious observation to active integration of digitally created talent.
The development comes as studios increasingly explore AI-assisted projects and seek expertise to navigate the emerging landscape.Particle6 has officially announced the creation of Xicoia, an offshoot AI talent studio focused on creating, managing, and monetizing “hyperreal digital stars” like Norwood. This move underscores a growing acceptance of AI as a legitimate source of on-screen talent.
Former AI artist Verena Puhm, now head of Studio Dream Lab LA at Luma AI, observed a distinct change in studio attitudes toward AI this year. “I remember having meetings with the studios as an AI artist before joining Luma. Some said, ‘Oh, no, we’re not using AI.’ I knew some were lying, they were already secretly working on some stuff, but some were not open to it at all. Then definitely this year, kind of like March, April, people called me and wanted to talk to me,” she said.
Puhm described studios seeking guidance on integrating AI into their workflows.”They were discussing me being a liaison between directors and the AI artists… at that time I was traveling around a lot and educating about workflows and pipelines and how it can be integrated, and then all a sudden that was becoming very interesting to them. It was a different language to them and they were like, ‘We really have to get people from the outside that have worked in the AI industry’.”
Historically, Puhm noted, studios have been slow to publicly embrace AI, requiring “an influx of new creatives, and new creative technologists to come in and actually show them how it’s done.” While bound by non-disclosure agreements, Puhm confirmed that all major companies and studios are currently working on AI-assisted projects.
“We really want to make them feel agreeable through their testing, through their projects, and working on real projects… we want it to be their decision on when they want to say it out loud, but honestly, I think this year is going to be interesting. In the beginning of next year, there’s going to be a lot of announcements,” Puhm added.
