The name Tilly Norwood has everywhere since the AI actor was first announced by the Particle 6 production company several weeks ago, mostly as Hollywood stars and industry experts come out to voice their displeasure with a potentially existential threat to the movie industry.

The so-called “Synthetic Performer” was first unveiled by Eline Van der Velden, CEO of Particle 6 studios, at the Zurich Summit on September 27. The executive revealed that multiple studios have already expressed interest in signing the AI actor, with Van der Velden claiming that an official announcement will be coming “in the next few months” (via Variety).

But SAG-AFTRA, the representative body for most of Hollywood’s acting talent, has been less than pleased about the news. The union has voiced its concern that synthetic performers like Norwood could ultimately push human actors out of the industry and may even be profiting from the likenesses of real, uncompensated Hollywood stars.

Interestingly, this very situation was among the several reasons that SAG-AFTRA went on a lengthy strike back in 2023 that, alongside the WGA’s overlapping strike, essentially brought Hollywood to a standstill for months. Closer regulation of AI usage in the film and television industry was one of the main stipulations raised by the union at the time, and it seemed like they reached a reasonable compromise.

So, how did we end up here?

AI Performers Like Tilly Norwood Are Permitted Under Certain Conditions

Although SAG-AFTRA had initially pushed for much stricter regulations on artificial intelligence, the union was ultimately forced to make compromises to meet the demands of the studios. One of those compromises was that “synthetic performers” like Tilly Norwood are allowed, so long as they don’t infringe on any real actor’s idenтιтy.

As long as AI performers aren’t expressly using the likeness of any real person, or creating the illusion of being any real person in any way, there’s ultimately nothing stopping studios from hiring them. There are certain restrictions preventing jobs from being explicitly stolen from human actors, but even these regulations seem somewhat vague. The official summary agreement definition reads as follows:

“A Synthetic Performer is a digitally-created ᴀsset that is intended to create, and does create, the clear impression that the ᴀsset is a natural performer who is not recognizable as any identifiable natural performer, [and] no employment arrangement for the motion picture exists with a natural performer in the role being portrayed by the ᴀsset.”

This agreement ultimately addresses the main concern that SAG-AFTRA had voiced – the potential for studios to use synthetic replicas to replace current actors – but doesn’t prevent studios from using AI altogether. Of course, that doesn’t mean the actors union has to embrace this new technology; in an official statement, the Screen Actors Guild has accused Norwood of “devaluing human artistry” and “jeopardizing performer livelihoods.“

Why Synthetic Performers Are Such A Dangerous Step Forward For Hollywood

It’s become strikingly clear over the past few years that AI, and its effects on the film industry, won’t be going away any time soon. Though Tilly Norwood’s creators may be right that she “sparks conversation” and should be “valued for what [she] rightly brings,” the real problem is how Hollywood studios will respond to this innovative technology.

Even if we accept that AI deserves to have some place in the film industry, it’s hard to believe that studios won’t abuse and exploit it to their benefit. Tilly Norwood is just the beginning of a technological revolution; one that makes filmmaking cheaper, quicker, and easier for executives and pushes real humans out of their jobs in the process.

Van der Velden has repeatedly referred to Norwood as a “paintbrush,” claiming that the AI is not intended to replace natural performers but rather to serve as a tool that enhances and improves the industry. But this seems to overlook the most basic principle of this argument: there is nothing Norwood can do that real humans can’t already do much better.

The only reason studios would hire synthetic performers in place of real humans is to save money, energy, and resources. The entire purpose of the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strikes was to uphold the dignity and integrity of actors’ employment in Hollywood. This may not directly breach the agreement, but it goes against the core principle that fueled it.

Thankfully, it’s not just SAG-AFTRA that has spoken out against Particle 6’s latest AI technology. Several noteworthy celebrities have weighed in on the topic, including Academy Award-nominated actor Emily Blunt, who was asked about the story during the press tour for her upcoming sports drama, The Smashing Machine.

Blunt quickly called Norwood “terrifying” and implored Hollywood not to hire the synthetic actress: “That is really, really, scary. Come on, agencies, don’t do that. Don’t take away our human connection” (via Variety). Several others have echoed her sentiment, including Melissa Barrera and Mara Wilson.

Hopefully, the industry will soon get the perfect opportunity to make its voice heard about this crucial issue. As noted during Sean Astin’s appointment as President of SAG-AFTRA, the union is expected to head back into negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers next year, where this issue will certainly be brought to the table. And everyone will be eager to avoid another costly strike.

Whether or not Tilly Norwood truly proves as damaging to Hollywood as many experts predict, the fact remains that this controversial technology does nothing to support the actors, writers, and directors whose jobs will be put on the line as a result of this strive for technological efficiency over human creativity.