Norwood is the pioneer among many realistic digital avatars being developed by Xicoia. Van der Velden aspires for Tilly to become as iconic as Scarlett Johansson or Natalie Portman. So far, Tilly’s most notable role has been in Particle6’s “AI Commissioner,” a video satirizing TV production processes. Similar to many founders of generative AI startups, Van der Velden discusses Tilly’s acting prospects with a confidence that might seem questionable upon viewing what the avatar actually does. The introduction of Tilly Norwood might appear as an easily dismissible publicity ploy, yet such strategic maneuvers can lead to the acceptance of the notion of “AI actors” in public perception.

The term “actress” is somewhat misleading when applied to Tilly Norwood, a point that becomes clear when understanding Xicoia’s work. Tilly is not a person who can think or act autonomously; she is an animated figure whose actions and dialogue are produced by an AI system trained on footage of real actors. According to Deadline, Xicoia aims to enable interactions with Tilly online where she could engage in “real-time monologues, react to trends, and customize her tone for specific audiences.” Though some interactions are automated, Tilly’s performance necessitates “human creative oversight” to operate correctly.

Tilly Norwood essentially functions as a digital marionette that can be directed by Xicoia as they wish, a selling point that the company seems eager to emphasize. In “AI Commissioner,” a questionable male avatar expresses its fondness for Tilly due to her obedience, hinting that Xicoia might be targeting viewers interested in more than just Tilly’s “acting” capabilities. The video projects a haunting undertone, but also reveals Xicoia’s intended uses for Tilly.

Van der Velden, who has a background in acting and comedy, is likely aware that acting demands more than delivering lines or assuming different looks. She likely realizes that bringing Tilly into external film or TV projects would entail considerable technical obstacles unless it’s a Xicoia initiative. Whether or not Van der Velden genuinely believes Xicoia’s AI creations are on par with live actors, she is cleverly planting the concept by broadcasting Tilly Norwood’s existence into public awareness.

This promotional strategy parallels the exaggerated doomsday scenarios presented by AI advocates to elevate their offerings. While it seems peculiar for AI supporters to ominously tout the potentially harmful nature of their advancements, it resonates when viewed as a bizarre form of marketing. This rhetoric suggests that developments in generative AI are an irreversible progression rather than a series of deliberate choices, nudging you toward acceptance of the AI trend — even when the technology falls short of its promises.

Tilly Norwood may never make it big the way Xicoia wants, but just days after the avatar began making headlines, Italian producer Andrea Iervolino announced that he has been developing an AI director designed to “celebrate the poetic and dreamlike language of great European cinema.” All of this feels ridiculous because that’s exactly what it is. But the larger goal is to inure you to the strangeness of it all so that when these products — be they movies, shows, or TikToks — finally come to market, your reaction is “Sure, why not?”

Even if agents aren’t banging on Xicoia’s door in hopes of getting into the Tilly Norwood business, the company is trying to speak that outcome into reality. It recently told Variety that “everyone wants an interview with Tilly.” And if the avatar were to secure talent representation, it would send a message to the entertainment industry that some see digital constructs as being just as capable of doing jobs that have traditionally been done by living people.

What’s funny about the Tilly Norwood fuss is that the avatar isn’t even much of an industry first. The internet is filled with AI-generated images and footage of brunette women, and it is hard to forget Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within’s Aki Ross — a “virtual actress” (voiced by Ming-Na Wen) that Squaresoft tried to turn into a real-world celebrity. The big difference here is that Xicoia, like basically every gen AI outfit, is trying to brute force itself into relevance even as real people within the entertainment industry have cried foul. SAG-AFTRA hit the nail on the head when it said that Tilly Norwood “doesn’t solve any ‘problem’ — it creates the problem of using stolen performances to put actors out of work, jeopardizing performer livelihoods and devaluing human artistry.”

Unlike Tilly Norwood, SAG-AFTRA’s concerns are very, very real, and much more deserving of our attention.