Tilly Norwood, the world’s first AI actor is here – is it time to panic?

The debut of AI actor Tilly Norwood has sparked fierce debate about creativity, ethics and the future of film.
Tilly Norwood in an Instagram post. Image: Eline Van der Velden.

The debut of Tilly Norwood – the world’s first AI-generated ‘actor’ – has triggered panic across the global film industry. 

Created by Dutch actor and comedian Eline Van der Velden through her AI studios Particle6 and Xicoia, Norwood has been described by its creator as the beginning of a new era of ‘synthetic talent’.

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Silvi Vann-Wall is a Melbourne-based journalist, podcaster, critic and filmmaker who loves frogs and improv comedy. They were the ScreenHub Film Content Lead from 2022 to 2025. Twitter (X): @SilviReports / Bluesky: @silvi.bsky.social‬ / Website: silvireports.com