Featured Image Credit: Instagram/tillynorwood
Topics: Celebrity, TV And Film, Entertainment, Artificial intelligence, Social Media, Instagram
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Madison Burgess
Topics: Celebrity, TV And Film, Entertainment, Artificial intelligence, Social Media, Instagram
The creator behind 'AI actress' Tilly Norwood has been forced to issue a statement following backlash from a slew of Hollywood stars.
For those who have no idea what we're talking about, there's a new actress on the scene who's said to 'be the next Scarlett Johansson or Natalie Portman,' however, there's one small issue - she isn't real.
That's right, Tilly is not a real-life person and is instead entirely computer-generated and made by artificial intelligence.
But, her creator thinks this won't stop her from making it to the big screen and talent agents have allegedly been rushing to sign the AI-bot, prompting a strong negative response from the industry.
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The virtual creation is owned by Xicoia, a talent studio attached to the AI production company Particle6, and her creator is Eline Van der Velden.
Big celebrity names have since come forward to slam the creation, as well as the agencies who are reportedly gearing up to sign her.
Emily Blunt called the creation 'terrifying', while Whoopi Goldberg described it as like being 'up against something that's been generated with 5,000 other actors'.
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Meanwhile, Scream star Melissa Barrera raged online: "Hope all actors repped by the agent that does this, drop their a$$. How gross, read the room."
Responding to the outcry, creator Van der Velden has issued a lengthy statement, posted to both her own Instagram account and Tilly's, which boasts more than 33,000 followers.
She hit back with: "To those who have expressed anger over the creation of my AI character, Tilly Norwood, she is not a replacement for a human being, but a creative work - a piece of art.
“Like many forms of art before her, she sparks conversation, and that in itself shows the power of creativity.”
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Van der Velden clarified that she sees 'AI not as a replacement for people but as a new tool' comparing it to other advancements throughout the years such as animation, puppetry, or CGI.
She discussed how these inventions 'opened fresh possibilities without taking away from live acting' which is her aim for Tilly.
"AI offers another way to imagine and build stories," she continued, before disclosing that she herself is also an actress.
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The creator penned: "I'm an actor myself - and nothing - certainly not an AI character - can take away the craft or joy of human performance. It takes time, skill and iteration to bring such a character to life. She represents experimentation, not substitution.
"Much of my work has been about holding up a mirror to society through satire, and this is no different."
She continued by explaining that she believes that AI characters 'should be judged as part of their own genre' rather than against humans - AI Oscars anyone?
Van der Velden said: "Each form of art has its place and each can be valued for what it uniquely brings.
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"I hope we can welcome AI as part of the wider artistic family; one more way to express ourselves, alongside theatre, film, painting, music, and countless others. When we celebrate all forms of creativity, we open doors to new voices, new stories, and new ways of connecting with each other.”
However, the response is not enough for some, who have taken to the comments section to further criticise the AI actress and her creator.
One Instagram user demanded: "You should release the names of every single individual “Tilly” was modelled after and they should ALL receive royalties for anything grossed by this AI model."
While a second questioned: "What’s the bet she wrote this response using ChatGPT?"
And a third added: "If she really was just an art piece, you wouldn’t be trying to get her an agent."
A fourth chimed in with: "AI is not, nor ever will be art. If you want to create a character use that supposed creativity and learn to draw and animate like 100s of 1000s of real artists."