Tilly Norwood Creator Eline Van Der Velden Says 40 AI “Actors” Are In Development
Courtesy of Particle6.
The creator behind the widely criticized AI-generated actress Tilly Norwood says that many more virtual performers are on the way.
Eline Van der Velden — an actor with a background in physics — quietly introduced Tilly on social media earlier this year. The digital character quickly drew backlash from people both working in film and television, and industry enthusiasts.
Van der Velden has dismissed worries that Tilly could replace actual performers. In an online post at the time, she described the project as “not a replacement for a human being, but a creative work – a piece of art.”
And apparently that’s just the beginning…
“The plan is to create 40 very diverse characters to build her whole universe and to play in this AI genre with a whole new cast,” Van der Velden stated to Deadline in a new interview.
She added that several of these characters are already in development, though none are ready to be revealed.
According to Deadline, talent agencies began investigating Tilly as early as September. Van der Velden said that initial reactions were skeptical, but she expects to announce which agency will represent the AI character within the coming months. She shared the update at the Zurich Summit, an event for creative professionals.
Winning over real actors may prove more difficult. In 2023, SAG-AFTRA, the union representing film and TV actors, went on strike partly over the growing use of AI in the industry.
In response to Tilly’s debut, the union issued a statement last September making its stance clear: “The union is opposed to the replacement of human performers by synthetics.”
Despite criticism, Van der Velden believes AI will reshape creative industries. “There is going to be this creative renaissance. There is going to be a change.”
However, she emphasized that AI characters aren’t meant to take over traditional storytelling. “And I think we’re still going to film with actors. I want to see real actors on screen. I don’t think AI characters will be in that space – it’s not going to move that fast.”
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