AI-Generated Actress Sparksโข Outcry, Deepens Hollywood Anxiety Over Job โSecurity
Zurich, Switzerland – September 6, 2025 – A digitally created actress named tilly Norwood โคis โpoised to โbe represented by a major โขtalent agency, igniting โขa firestormโข of controversy and escalating โanxieties within Hollywood โregarding teh impact of artificial intelligence on the entertainment industry.
Norwood, the creation of tech entrepreneur Nonny Van โder Velden, has been showcased in a variety โคof digitally rendered scenes,โ including action sequences and futuristic cityscapes.โ van derโ Velden announced on saturdayโ at an โขindustry panel in Zurich that an agency deal is imminent, stating, “With Tilly, you know, when we frist launchedโ her, people were like, ‘That’s not going to happen.’ And now, we’re goingโ to announce โขwhich agency is going to be representing her in the next few months. It’s all changing and everyone is startingโข to see the light, fortunately.”
The move comes as AI’s presence in โentertainment grows. In 2024, theโฃ Japanese digital character Hatsune Miku performed at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, and an AI model โคwas featured in the August issue of Vogue magazine โfor L.A. brand Guess.โฃ Studios are also exploring AI applications, with Lionsgate โpartnering with AI startups for storyboarding and Netflix and โAmazonโ MGM Studios utilizing AI in visual effects for various series.
However, the rise โof AI in Hollywood โคis not without legal challenges. Tech companies argue that trainingโ AI โmodelsโ on publicly available content falls under “fair use” doctrine. But majorโ studios – โDisney, Global, and Warner Bros. Discovery – recentlyโค filed lawsuits against AI companies alleging copyrightโฃ infringement.
The potentialโ representation of Norwoodโ has triggered a backlash fromโ actors. “Read the room, how โคgross,”โค In the Heights actor Melissa Barrera wrote on Instagram. Some actors are calling โฃfor a boycott of any agencies โฃthat choose to represent theโข AIโ actress,citing a conflict ofโฃ interest. โฃ
“Our members reserve โthe right to not be in business with representatives who areโฃ operating inโ an unfair conflict of interest,who are operating โขin bad faith,” said duncan Astin,a representativeโ for actorsโ concerned aboutโ the issue.