Creator of AI Actress Tilly Norwood Warns Tech Could Replace Human Actors
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 31
Creator of AI Actress Tilly Norwood Warns Tech Could Replace Human Actors
2 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 31
London-based creator Eline van der Velden emerged as the key figure in a new Times Magazine interview, more than Tilly Norwood, the AI actress she built.
Van der Velden said she created Tilly to alert the creative community that actor-replacing technology already exists, even as she also runs a business that could profit from its adoption.
Tilly, unveiled last summer as the "first" AI actress, had already become a flashpoint in Hollywood over whether cheaper, faster AI production could cut costs or displace performers.
The piece frames that tension through van der Velden's own contradictions: she calls the technology "dangerous" and "terrifying" while promoting its capabilities for always-available, endlessly adjustable screen performances.
The broader takeaway is less about a novelty interview with a robot than about how AI is forcing the film industry to confront the economics and human cost of replacing actors.
As AI actors like Tilly Norwood rise, who truly owns the performance—the creator, the algorithm, or the data it was trained on?
Hollywood fears AI will steal jobs, but could AI celebrities create entirely new industries and roles for humans instead?
The Rise of AI Actors: Tilly Norwood, Industry Backlash, and the Global Expansion of Synthetic Talent in 2026
Overview
In 2026, the AI talent studio Xicoia made a bold move to expand the 'Tillyverse,' its digital entertainment universe centered on AI-generated talent like Tilly Norwood. This ambition became clear with a major announcement in March, highlighting Xicoia's commitment to bringing AI talent into mainstream media. A key step was appointing Mark Whelan as head of strategy and operations. Whelan, who previously led social expansion at Amazon's Prime Video and worked as a comedy producer at Particle6, brings valuable experience to guide Xicoia's growth. These developments signal Xicoia's strategic push to shape the future of AI-driven entertainment.