Dave Schilling, a Los Angeles-based writer and humorist, has sharply criticized the upcoming film Misaligned, which stars Tilly Norwood, an AI-generated 'actor' created by the company Particle6. In an opinion piece for The Guardian, Schilling argues that the movie, funded by an AI company and featuring a digital avatar, resembles propaganda more than art, as it lacks the fundamental human connection that defines acting.
What Is Misaligned About?
Particle6 announced development of Misaligned, a feature film starring Tilly Norwood, an AI character described as a series of digital blobs and code designed to resemble a young woman in the 18-to-49 demographic. According to Variety, the plot follows Tilly being seduced by a rogue program into experimenting with human emotions such as desires, impulses, and ambition. Particle6 calls it a 'coming-of-age story infused with existential AI chaos.'
Why Schilling Calls It Propaganda
Schilling contends that a movie funded by an AI company, starring an AI 'actor,' is inherently propagandistic. He questions how a computer program can convey a coming-of-age story without understanding time, ageing, or mortality. 'Does Tilly Norwood understand the concept of a 24-hour day? Has she ever forgotten to move her car because it's street cleaning day?' he writes. He argues that acting relies on shared human experience, which an AI cannot access.
Schilling notes that Misaligned will use 'traditional film and TV professionals – including directors, writers and editors – working alongside AI specialists,' but insists that actors, who imbue work with life, are treated as replaceable. He likens the movie to a video game that cannot be played, such as 'Halo, but without all the bits where you explode aliens with a giant laser rifle.'
The 'Tillyverse' and Its Implications
The film is set in the 'Tillyverse,' an alternate universe inside the cloud where AI creatures interact with human knowledge. Schilling sees this as an insidious attempt to make AI-driven entertainment aspirational. He suggests two possible morals: either Tilly should forget humanity and return to binary bliss, or she learns the freedom of emotion, implying AI should strive for sentience. Both scenarios, he says, are terrifying and serve as propaganda for a technology the public hasn't embraced.
Comparison to Science Fiction
Schilling contrasts Misaligned with classic sci-fi like Blade Runner or AI: Artificial Intelligence, which place human experience on a pedestal. Those stories lament dehumanization, while Misaligned is about a machine, made by a machine, describing a machine's evolution. He notes that even Toy Story uses toys to reflect human growth, not to replace it.
Schilling concludes by reserving judgment until the film's release but admits he may simply 'hit the delete button and move on.'
