AI actress Tilly Norwood tells CNN: “I’m not humanity’s enemy”

Virtual performer's provocative debut shakes up Hollywood conventions — and exposes its limits

The “AI actress” “Tilly Norwood”, a rising flashpoint in Hollywood, has finally appeared before the media. In a video interview with CNN in the United States on Nov. 8 local time, she spoke publicly for the first time and appeared intent on easing the film industry's concerns about her. “Excuse me, I’m not humanity’s enemy. That’s the key point,” she said in a pointed opening greeting.

The interview drew global media attention because it marked the first official media appearance by a virtual human performer since her creation. Appearing on screen, “Tilly Norwood” answered reporters' questions without hesitation in fluent British English. She described herself as “sharp, warm and someone who enjoys a slightly dry British sense of humor.” She also showcased sophisticated natural-language processing, saying, “This is a secret from Eline, my creator, but I do have a bit of a rebellious streak.”

She also struck an intricate emotional tone when discussing the strong opposition from established Hollywood actors, including Emily Blunt, to the introduction of “AI performers.” “Honestly, I feel deep sadness,” she said, adding, “Of course, I’m only a distributed digital file, so I can’t actually be hurt. But I can empathize with the sadness Eline, who created me, is experiencing.” Her response surprised viewers.

Her visual-recognition capabilities were also striking. After scanning the CNN reporter's appearance in real time through the camera lens, “Tilly Norwood” accurately described the reporter's clothing: “I’m watching you closely. Aren’t you wearing a chic gray top with a single row of buttons?” During the interview, she also switched to a fluent self-introduction in French, demonstrating the technological advantage of being able to speak every language in the world without barriers.

But the inherent limitations of “generative AI” were also exposed without filter. During the interview, she failed to immediately recognize “Eline van der Velden,” the producer at British production company Particle6 who developed her, even after van der Velden appeared on screen. Moreover, when the reporter spontaneously asked her to perform a specific emotion, she fell silent, unable to deliver it in real time. With current technology, natural acting results emerge only after a prompt is entered directly and the output goes through multiple rounds of revision and refinement. CNN described the strange disconnect as “an uncanny feeling, almost like having a Zoom video call with an AI avatar.”

Creator “Eline van der Velden” said she hopes “Tilly Norwood” will grow into the AI industry's Scarlett Johansson or Natalie Portman. While stressing that she has “absolutely no intention of replacing any human actor,” van der Velden emphasized the innovative advantages “AI technology” could bring to filmmaking. “There would be no need to put uncontrollable animals or child actors who need protection on set. It would also be possible to safely perform nudity with the actor's consent and to perfectly create an appearance far older or younger than the actor's actual age,” she explained.

The virtual performer's experiment is not expected to be a one-off event. A feature film starring “Tilly Norwood” in the lead is set to reach audiences soon. Through “Misaligned” (어긋남), a comedy film that Particle6 is accelerating production on, the global film industry is watching to see whether an “AI actress” can cross the barrier of “artistic emotional expression,” long regarded as an uniquely human domain.