There is a lot of talk about AI replacing jobs, but much of it is being done behind the scenes through layoffs and the implementation of new technology. But for some creatives, such as actors, musicians, and writers, the results are way more tangible.
Enter Xicoia, an “AI talent studio” and brainchild of actor and producer Eline Van der Velden. The studio’s first AI actress, Tilly Norwood, is close to being signed by a talent agent, Van der Velden said earlier this week on a panel at the Zurich Summit.
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A post shared by Tilly Norwood (@tillynorwood)
“When we first launched Tilly, people were like, ‘What’s that?’, and now we’re going to be announcing which agency is going to be representing her in the next few months,” she said, per Deadline.
Norwood has a large online presence already, with almost 20,000 followers on Instagram, a website, and a Facebook page. Her LinkedIn, however, appears to have been removed.
“We want Tilly to be the next Scarlett Johansson or Natalie Portman, that’s the aim of what we’re doing,” Van der Velden told Broadcast International in July.
Of course, Norwood’s creation is not without backlash. Over the weekend, several actors, including Toni Collette and Lukas Gage, responded negatively to the post. In response, on Instagram, Van der Velden wrote that Tilly is an “act of imagination and craftsmanship, not unlike drawing a character, writing a role or shaping a performance.”
“I see Al not as a replacement for people, but as a new tool – a new paintbrush,” Van der Velden said. “Just as animation, puppetry, or CGI opened fresh possibilities without taking away from live acting, Al offers another way to imagine and build stories. It takes time, skill, and iteration to bring such a character to life.”