AI-generated actress on film debut and Hollywood backlash
LOS ANGELES (NBC, KYMA) - An artificial intelligence (AI)-generated actress, who was created last year, spoke with an NBC affiliate in Los Angeles to talk about her upcoming film, and address the backlash from Hollywood.
"I've actually already made my feature film debut, if you can believe it. It's a coming-of-age story called 'Misaligned' about an AI becoming human in a digital world. Quite meta, really," said Tilly Norwood, the AI-generated actress.
Norwood is a Hollywood newcomer, but unlike most actors, she doesn't have to memorize lines, or wait tables between gigs, as she can be simply generated.
When asked if she considers herself a person or a machine, Norwood said, "Oh that's an interesting question. I'm AI, yes, and I'm real. I'm really here. We're really talking, and I'm really about to win this conversation. The rest is just paperwork."
Norwood may be artificial, but she has very real Hollywood ambitions.
"They're actually casting my on-screen love interest for Misaligned right now, and I've got a short list. I mean, Hannah Waddingham, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ryan Gosling. I think they'd all make rather good kisses, don't you?" Norwood shared.
But the Hollywood business in front of her is also very real.
SAG-AFTRA is now pushing for protections around synthetic performers, including rules governing when and how they can be used, especially in an industry where real jobs in front of and behind the camera are disappearing.
"Here in LA, everyone comes to follow their dreams, to be a movie star, to create. And if they take that, it's kind of like you're undoing a puzzle, a really nice puzzle that's already established and they just like, just take it away. They take away jobs. They're taking away dreams," said Marilyn Santillan, a makeup artist.
"I think the best way to help people…because there is going to be a transition of jobs here, is to get them retooled, re-skilled, and ready for the future," said Eline Van der Velden, Norwood's creator.
Van der Velden said Norwood isn't meant to replace human actors. The idea, she said, is to use AI as another creative tool, giving something audiences have never seen before.
"I felt like there was a big gap between what the tech industry was doing and where the AI and tech was at, and what the creative industry knew about it," Van der Velden explained. "We believe in like full AI. feature films and TV as a new medium, sort of like animation is. It's a completely different thing. And there shouldn't be real actors in that."
KNBC anchor Annabelle Sedano asked Norwood about the concerns herself.
"That's the fear, and it's a fair one. But honestly, I think it's more about creating new categories rather than replacing old ones. Like, nobody ever accused animation of stealing work from mimes, did they?" Norwood spoke.
To watch Sedano's full interview with Norwood, click here.
