Hollywood union warns of ‘synthetic stars’ as AI actress Tilly Norwood makes debut

Highlights

• SAG-AFTRA slams debut of AI-generated “performer” at Zurich film conference
  
• Union says replacing human actors with synthetic characters threatens livelihoods
  
• Tilly Norwood, a fictional actress, introduced by London-based studio Particle6
  
• Talent agents reportedly showing interest, but industry experts remain sceptical
  

Backlash over synthetic debut

The debut of a computer-generated “actress” called Tilly Norwood has sparked strong criticism from Hollywood’s performers’ union, SAG-AFTRA, which has condemned the replacement of real actors with digital stand-ins.

Norwood was unveiled at a film industry conference in Zurich over the weekend, appearing in a short parody video about an AI-generated television show. Created by London-based studio Particle6, the character was presented as a fresh-faced, twenty-something newcomer with a British accent, brown hair, and her own social media profile.

Dutch actor-producer Eline Van der Velden, who founded Particle6, told attendees the project was beginning to attract interest from talent agencies and that an industry deal was likely within months.

Union pushes back

SAG-AFTRA, which represents more than 160,000 actors, recording artists, and performers, swiftly issued a statement rejecting the move.

“Creativity is, and should remain, human-centred,” the union said. “The union is opposed to the replacement of human performers by synthetics.”

Officials also noted that Norwood’s creation relied on training data built from the work of countless actors who were neither asked for permission nor compensated.

“To be clear, ‘Tilly Norwood’ is not an actor,” the statement added.

A digital star in waiting?

Particle6 has produced a series of synthetic characters, with Norwood pushed as the breakout figure. In one social media post, the character declared: “I may be AI generated, but I’m feeling very real emotions right now. I am so excited for what’s coming next!”

Van der Velden defended the project, calling Norwood a “creative work” rather than a replacement for humans. “Like many forms of art before her, she sparks conversation, and that in itself shows the power of creativity,” she wrote on Instagram.

In a more provocative remark earlier this year, Van der Velden suggested her ambition was for Norwood to become “the next Scarlett Johansson or Natalie Portman.”

Industry scepticism

Not all industry observers are convinced. Yves Bergquist, director of AI in media at the University of Southern California’s Entertainment Technology Center, dismissed the excitement as exaggerated.

“There is a lot of understandable nervousness and fear out there about talent being replaced,” he said. “But judging from my daily interactions with Hollywood executives, there is zero interest from serious people in developing entirely synthetic characters. Scarlett Johansson has a fan base. Scarlett Johansson is a person.”

A wider debate

The controversy comes just months after performers and writers raised concerns about the impact of automation on jobs during contract negotiations with studios and streaming services. While computer-generated imagery has long played a role in film-making, the idea of synthetic performers crossing into mainstream storytelling has fuelled fears over the erosion of creative labour.

For SAG-AFTRA, the launch of Tilly Norwood is not simply a publicity stunt but a warning of how easily digital experiments can shift into questions about rights, recognition, and the value of human artistry.