The creator of the AI actor Tilly Norwood, Eline van der Velden, has said she received death threats after a global backlash against the project. Van der Velden, who founded production company Particle6 and its AI arm Xicoia, debuted Norwood in a short comedy sketch last autumn.
In an interview with the Guardian, van der Velden said she developed the AI actor to “provoke thoughts and discussion” about the impact of artificial intelligence in the entertainment world. However, she was “quite shocked by the vitriol” that followed, including death threats that continue, albeit at a reduced level.
The backlash came from actors including Melissa Barrera, Mara Wilson and Ralph Ineson, as well as unions Sag-Aftra and Equity. When asked about Norwood on a podcast, actor Emily Blunt said: “Good lord, we’re screwed.” Van der Velden said the project was deliberately provocative to shock the industry into understanding how far AI technology has come.
Van der Velden continues to advocate for AI use, suggesting it could be a blessing for actors who wish to avoid fame. She controls Norwood’s avatar using motion capture technology and has featured her in a new music video with lyrics written by an AI chatbot. She said she has turned down offers for Norwood to appear in real productions, but is creating a micro drama series.
Van der Velden said Norwood was created using publicly available tools, making it impossible to determine what data contributed to it. She hopes the project opens creative doors for positive use of AI tools.
