SAG-AFTRA pushes back against synthetic performers
Hollywood’s largest actors’ guild, SAG-AFTRA, has denounced the launch of Tilly Norwood, an AI-generated “actress” created by London-based tech company Xicoia.
The union warned that the digital character, unveiled last week at the Zurich Film Festival, poses a direct threat to jobs, fair compensation, and the integrity of human artistry.
A Rising “Star” without a soul
Tilly Norwood was developed by comedian and technologist Eline Van der Velden, who founded Xicoia after spinning it out of her production company Particle6.
According to Van der Velden, talent agents have already expressed interest in signing the synthetic actress.
For SAG-AFTRA, however, Norwood lacks the very essence of acting.
“She has no life experience to draw from, no emotion,” the guild argued, adding that “audiences aren’t interested in watching computer-generated content untethered from the human experience.”
The union further reminded studios and producers that any use of synthetic performers requires prior bargaining under their contracts, warning against bypassing labor obligations.
Defenders see creativity, not replacement
Van der Velden, meanwhile, defended her creation on Instagram, describing Norwood as a “new paintbrush” for storytelling rather than a replacement for actors. She likened the experiment to animation, puppetry, and CGI, insisting that Tilly represents “imagination and craftsmanship, not substitution.”
“I hope we can welcome AI as part of the wider artistic family,” Van der Velden wrote.
‘Tilly Norwood’ is not an actor, it’s a character generated by a computer program trained on the work of countless performers, without permission or compensation,” SAG-AFTRA said in a statement.
The guild accused the project of undermining livelihoods while exploiting human performances as raw material.
Celebrity reactions highlight unease
The backlash from Hollywood talent was swift. Actress Emily Blunt called the project “really, really scary,” while Whoopi Goldberg warned that AI performers risk blending the styles and personalities of countless stars into a single manufactured persona.
“It’s got Bette Davis’s attitude, it’s got Humphrey Bogart’s humor, it’s got my humor,” Goldberg said. “So, it’s a little bit of an unfair advantage.”
Echoes of the past
The controversy recalls SAG-AFTRA’s 2023 strike, when artificial intelligence emerged as one of the union’s central concerns.
At the time, actors demanded stronger protections against the unauthorized use of their likenesses and performances in AI models.
With Tilly Norwood, those fears appear to be playing out in real time, reigniting questions over how far AI should be allowed to go in the creative industries.
Emmanuel Ekokotu
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