Whoopi Goldberg and numerous Hollywood actors are voicing their concerns after an AI-generated character named Tilly Norwood began attracting interest from talent agencies, sparking intense debate about the future of artificial intelligence in the entertainment industry.
The virtual creation is owned by AI talent studio Xicoia and developed by production company Particle6. The character made headlines when creator Eline Van der Velden made an announcement at the Zurich Summit. She revealed that multiple talent agents were considering representing the AI character. The news prompted swift reactions from established performers across the industry.
Goldberg Questions AI’s Impact on Acting
During a segment on “The View,” Goldberg challenged the notion that AI performers could truly replicate human actors. She also acknowledged the potential concerns associated with the technology. “After many human actors called for a boycott against agencies who sign AI actors, the studio claims Tilly is not a replacement for a human being, but a creative work, and AI characters should be judged as part of their own genre, rather than compared directly with human actors,” Goldberg stated, according to Entertainment Weekly.
The Emmy winner expressed concerns about the complex nature of AI creations. Goldberg explained her perspective on what she sees as an unfair competitive advantage. “The problem with this, in my humble opinion, is that you are suddenly up against something that’s been generated with 5,000 other actors. It’s got Bette Davis’ attitude, it’s got Humphrey Bogart’s lips… And so it’s a little bit of an unfair advantage,” she said.
Despite these concerns, Goldberg maintained confidence in the irreplaceable qualities of human performers. “But you know what? Bring it on. You can always tell them from us. We move differently, our faces move differently, our bodies move differently,” she declared.
She acknowledged that while current AI technology “isn’t seamless yet,” improvements could arrive within “two or three years.” Goldberg concluded by connecting the issue to broader societal concerns about technology replacing human connection across various industries.
Industry-Wide Pushback from Actors
Multiple high-profile actors took to social media to express their disapproval of the development. Melissa Barrera, star of “In the Heights,” posted a strong message on Instagram Stories. “Hope all actors repped by the agent that does this, drop their a$$. How gross, read the room.”
Mara Wilson, known for her role in “Matilda,” questioned the ethical implications of the AI’s creation method. She commented, “And what about the hundreds of living young women whose faces were composited together to make her? You couldn’t hire any of them?”
Nicholas Alexander Chavez, who portrayed Lyle Menendez in Netflix’s “Monsters” series, responded bluntly to the news. “Not an actress actually nice try.”
Other performers responded with humor while making their stance clear. Lukas Gage from “The White Lotus” joked: “She was a nightmare to work with!!!!” while Lucy Hale from “Pretty Little Liars” simply stated: “No.”
Van der Velden responded to the backlash by positioning Tilly Norwood as a creative project. She argued the AI character was not a threat to working actors. “To those who have expressed anger over the creation of my AI character, Tilly Norwood, she is not a replacement for a human being, but a creative work – a piece of art,” she stated in a response shared on social media.
The creator, who is herself an actor and comedian, drew comparisons to other technological advancements in entertainment. “I see AI not as a replacement for people, but as a new tool, a new paintbrush. Just as animation, puppetry, or CGI opened fresh possibilities without taking away from live acting, AI offers another way to imagine and build stories. I’m an actor myself, and nothing – certainly not an AI character – can take away the craft or joy of human performance,” she explained.
Van der Velden suggested that AI characters deserve their own category of evaluation. “AI characters should be judged as part of their own genre, on their own merits… Each form of art has its place, and each can be valued for what it uniquely brings,” she wrote.
The controversy arises against the backdrop of recent labor disputes in Hollywood. This includes the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, which partially addressed concerns about AI in the industry. The union representing 160,000 television and movie actors raised alarms about studios’ AI proposals. They expressed concerns about studios proposing to scan background performers for a single day’s pay. The studios would then retain perpetual rights to use those scans in future projects.
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