Tilly Norwood - ©Theda Bara

The name I present in this post is that of the virtual actress Tilly Norwood, created by artificial intelligence, a product of Xicoia, a company that calls itself the world’s first artificial intelligence talent studio. Tilly sparked a wave of protests in Hollywood, the center of the film industry. And, as a professional film analyst, I cannot comment favorably on this type of creation.

Ever since Dutch producer and comedian Eline Van der Velden (1986-) launched the future career of the digital character, Tilly has been the talk of Hollywood. But not in a positive way. The news generated criticism from associations, actors, and filmmakers, who argue that artificial intelligence should not occupy a prominent place in the profession.

Artificial intelligence is already used as a tool in film production, but its implementation is the subject of intense debate, particularly during a prolonged strike by the union representing media members in the United States, which ended in late 2023 with safeguards to protect the use of images and performances of AI actors. There was also a year-long strike by video game producers, based on artistic protections against AI, resulting in the approval of a new contract requiring employers to obtain written permission to create a digital replica. Even so, the issue remains shrouded in controversy.

In a statement released in late September 2025, the Screen Actors Guild of America (SAG-AFTRA) declared: “Creativity is, and must remain, human-centered.”

Tilly Norwood is not an actress, nor an avatar, nor even a character. She was generated by a computer program trained on the work of countless professional artists. In other words, her creation does not require a fee or signing million-dollar contracts with a talent agency, but many artists will remain anonymous, receiving only a small sum of money to give movement and voice to the AI.

In my opinion, no emotion emanates from this young woman created by the AI; she does not even possess breathtaking beauty; she simply resembles a teenager with an ordinary face.

Particle6 Studios introduced Tilly Norwood on the last weekend of September 2025, during the Zurich Summit, a side event of the Zurich Film Festival. At the time, representatives of the virtual actress’s creators said that talent agencies were keeping an eye on Norwood and expected to soon announce her signing with a major Los Angeles studio.

“For those who expressed outrage at the creation of my AI character, Tilly Norwood, she is not a human surrogate, but a creative work, a work of art. Like many art forms before her, she sparks debate, and that in itself demonstrates the power of creativity. Creating Tilly was, for me, an act of imagination and skill, just like creating a character, writing a role, or shaping a performance. Bringing a character like this to life requires time, skill, and iteration.” - Van der Velden said in a talk that caused no commotion in the large audience, which listened without applause at the end of his euphoric words about his AI creature.

Virtual actress Tilly Norwood has her own Instagram account. Posts include photos of the virtual actress drinking coffee, shopping for clothes, and preparing for projects. As of Wednesday (October 1, 2025), the account had already amassed over 33,000 followers. “I had a lot of fun filming some screen tests recently. Every day feels like one step closer to the big screen.” - “she” says in one post.

And what do you think of this new model for Hollywood actors?