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The creator of Tilly Norwood, an AI-generated actress who went viral over the weekend, has defended the digital figure as a work of art amid a wave of backlash from actors and creatives accusing the project of undermining real talent.
Eline Van der Velden, founder of media company Particle6, introduced Tilly as a “composite girl-next-door” and aspiring actress on Instagram. Despite being entirely AI-generated, Norwood has already attracted interest from multiple talent agents, Van der Velden revealed during an industry panel in Switzerland.
“When we first launched Tilly, people were like, ‘What’s that?’” Van der Velden said, according to Deadline. “Now we’re going to be announcing which agency is going to be representing her in the next few months.”
Tilly has already appeared in a short sketch, and Van der Velden previously told Broadcast International that she envisions Norwood becoming “the next Scarlett Johansson or Natalie Portman.”
She argues that AI can lower production costs and remove traditional creative limitations:
“People are realizing their creativity doesn’t need to be boxed in by a budget… that’s why AI can really be a positive.”
Fierce backlash from Hollywood
However, many in the creative industry see AI as a threat. The technology was a key issue in the Hollywood writers’ and actors’ strikes in 2023, with unions demanding protections against digital replacements.
Actress Melissa Barrera (Scream) condemned agents supporting Norwood, urging actors to boycott them.
“Hope all actors repped by the agent that does this, drop their a$$. How gross, read the room,” she wrote on Instagram.
Mara Wilson, known for her role in Matilda (1996), criticized the project for not hiring real performers:
“And what about the hundreds of living young women whose faces were composited together to make her? You couldn’t hire any of them?”
Creator defends AI character
In response, Van der Velden posted a statement on Norwood’s Instagram, insisting the AI actress is not meant to replace real humans, but to provoke conversation as a form of modern art.
“She is not a replacement for a human being, but a creative work — a piece of art… AI offers another way to imagine and build stories,” she wrote.
Growing presence of AI in media
AI’s presence in the entertainment industry is growing rapidly and continues to stir debate:
Virtual band “The Velvet Sundown” reached over 1 million Spotify listeners this summer.
Vogue magazine published an ad featuring an AI-generated model in August.
As AI tools become more sophisticated and accessible, the tension between innovation and artistic integrity is intensifying—raising urgent questions about the future of work, creativity, and ethics in entertainment.
