Creator ofโ AI Actress tilly norwoodโค Issues Statement Amidst โIndustry Debate
The creator of AI โคactress Tilly Norwood released a statement followingโค a wave of backlash sparked by reports that โtalent agents are seekingโค to sign the virtual performer as a client. Xicoia creatorโ Van der Velden addressed concerns from actors,โ emphasizing that AI characters โขrepresentโ a new artistic mediumโ rather than aโค replacement for human performance.
The controversy ignitedโ atโข the Zurich Summit โคover the weekend, โขwhere it was revealed โthat โagencies were โฃinterested in representing Norwood. This prompted immediate โขresponses from actors including Melissa Barrera,Kiersey โขClemons,and Toni Collette,with some calling for a boycott of agencies working with AI talent.โข
“justโฃ as animation, puppetry,โฃ or CGI opened fresh possibilitiesโค without taking away from live acting, AI offers another way to imagine and build stories,” Van der โฃvelden stated. “I’m an actor myself, and nothing โฃ- certainly not an AI character – can take awayโฃ the craft or โฃjoy of humanโ performance.”
Van der Velden described the creation of Tilly โNorwood as an act of “imagination and craftsmanship,” comparable โto character โคdesign, role writing, or performance shaping.She launched initial social media accounts โฃfor Norwood onโ TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube earlier this year, prior toโข the official Xicoia announcement last week.
Sheโข furtherโข argued โthat โAI charactersโ should be evaluated within their own artistic context.โข “AI characters should be judged as part of their own โคgenre, on their ownโ meritsโฆ Each form of artโ has itsโข place, and each can beโ valued for what itโ uniquely brings,” Van โฃder Velden wrote.
the creator expressed โhope forโข the integration โขof AI into the broader artistic landscape, โคstating, “I hope we can welcome AI โคasโ part of the wider artistic family; one more way โคto express ourselves,โ alongside theater, film,โค painting, music, and countless others. When we celebrate allโข forms of creativity,โ weโ open doors to newโค voices, new stories, and new waysโ of connecting with each other.”
