AI actress Tilly Norwood could soon do her own interviews

AI-generated actress Tilly Norwood will enhance the film industry, her creator says.

Norwood is the creation of Dutch comedian, writer and actress Eline Van der Velden through her new AI talent studio Xicoia – a spin-off of AI production studio Particle6.

Using AI in this way is building on what went before, she told RNZ’s Sunday Morning.

“It’s like building on top of the shoulders of giants and building on the top of humanity and going forth from what has been before and trying to make something original from there onwards.”

“We have lots of directors approaching us. They want to play with Tilly. We’re reskilling production designers, costume designers, all sorts of people who work in the traditional film and TV industry who want to move and be able to work in the new AI realm.”

AI creations such as Norwood could help to future proof the industry, she says.

“I felt, in order to be part of this new AI realm or this AI medium, I wanted to create an AI actor to be part of it.

“So that was my way of dealing with it. But everyone in their own way will have to upskill or change the way that they work with AI because I think it’s actually going to affect almost every single person in our world.”

Once AI is married to industry talent, some “incredible work” will emerge, she believes.

“New people could rise to the top, which is always nice.”

And it’s inevitable that similar AI characters will emerge in the future, she says.

“We are not putting any actors out of work; we’re actually just creating new work.

“… So, you’re going to have to make incredibly amazing stuff with AI tools. You can’t just make something average. You have to be making amazing things, and we have to all step up our game.”

Using AI tools has “ignited a childlike creativity” in her, she says.

“Because it lets you create so spontaneously. It’s a whole new creative force, and it’s wonderful, it’s absolutely wonderful as a creative to be playing around with these tools.”

She hopes eventually Norwood will be able to do media interviews herself.

“I’m currently in the process of building her brain, but it takes a lot of creativity to build a brain. It takes a lot of human ideas and input.”