SAG-AFTRAโ Issues Warning Over AI Actress Tilly Norwood as Industry Debate Intensifies
Los Angeles – SAG-AFTRA, the union representing approximately 160,000 actors and entertainment professionals, has issued a statement addressing โthe controversy surrounding Tilly Norwood, an AI-generated actress created by โEline Van der Velden.The union’s response signals a firm stance โagainst the unchecked integrationโข of artificial intelligence โฃinto the production pipeline andโฃ underscores protections secured during the 2023 actors strike.
The debate ignited after Van โฃder Velden, founderโ of AI productionโ company Particleโค 6 and AI talent studioโ Xicoia, revealed at the zurich Summit on โฃSaturdayโ that she was in discussions with talentโฃ agents regarding depiction for Norwood. This news prompted immediate backlash fromโฃ actors including Melissa Barrera, Kiersey Clemons, Whoopi Goldberg, and โฃEmily โBlunt, raising concerns about theโค future of human performers.โ
SAG-AFTRA previously negotiated safeguards for actors’ likenesses and performances against unauthorized AI โuse โfollowing the 2023 labor dispute with the Alliance of Motion Pictureโ and television Producers.The โขunion’s latest statementโ is widely interpreted as a warning to studios andโค companies exploringโ AI in production.
Van der Velden initially soft-launched Tilly Norwood on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube โover the summer. In response to the growing criticism, she released a statement โขMonday โขasserting that Norwoodโ should beโข viewed as “a creative work – a โpiece ofโฃ art,” and not a replacement for human actors.
“I see โAI โnot as โฃa replacement for people, but as a new tool, a new paintbrush,” Van der Velden stated.โข “Just as animation, โขpuppetry, or CGI openedโ fresh possibilities without taking away from live acting, AI offers another way to โimagineโ and โbuild stories. I’m anโ actor myself, and nothingโ – certainly not anโค AI character – canโ take away the craft or joy of humanโค performance.”