Talent agencies are reportedly in talks to represent Tilly Norwood, an AI-generated actress created by Eline Van der Velden's studio. According to Deadline, this would mark one of the first times a talent agency signs an AI-generated actress instead of exclusively representing real-life stars.
What's happening:
At the recent Zurich Summit, Van der Velden said studio attitudes shifted dramatically—companies that dismissed AI actors months ago are now interested in announcing which agency will represent Tilly "in the next few months"
Major studios are already piloting AI-assisted projects behind NDAs, according to Luma AI's Dream Lab LA head Verena Puhm, who noted some studios were "secretly working on stuff" while publicly denying AI use
Particle6 builds "hyperreal digital stars" from scratch, though technical details about the AI models powering Tilly remain limited
Addressing the backlash:
The rollout drew sharp criticism from performers' unions and actors concerned about job displacement. Van der Velden responded via Instagram, emphasizing they're "not trying to replace actors" but create a new type of genre, like CGI and animation.
Our take:
Calling it an 'AI actress' seems like a stretch - and is a label that's probably causing a lot of the controversy. This seems more like an 'AI influencer' - a character with a social following that can push brand deals. Artificial influencers aren't new - just look at Lil Miquela.
