Elaine van der Velden is the CEO and founder of Particle 6, the AI company that also includes AI “actor” Tilly Norwood. The film became the center of a Hollywood storm in late 2025 after van der Velden hinted at a panel discussion in Zurich that he intended to sign with an agency. The comments sparked an immediate backlash from within the industry and beyond, as actors, unions and others weighed in on the AI debate to condemn Tilly Norwood and question what her presence meant for the profession. As concerns about AI in film and television skyrocket, Tilly Norwood has quickly become the very famous computer-generated face of the issue. The people behind Tilly are leaning towards the role, and on January 22nd, the day the Oscar nominations were announced, Tilly Norwood’s official Instagram posted an image of Tilly standing at the podium holding an award (not an Oscar) with the caption, “Congratulations to all the Oscar nominees, even those who hate me! You are my heroes and I’m sorry I scared you so much this year. Filmmaking is the most important job in the world!”
In his op-ed, which comes as more than 700 industry figures support a new anti-AI campaign condemning tech companies, van der Velden asserts that “AI is here to stay.” But rather than push back, she urges actors to embrace the technology and actually develop their own “AI actors.” She also argues that AI is actually “more ethical” given the demands placed on performers’ physical and mental health, alongside the “constant surveillance” of appearance and aging.
Why all actors need to future-proof their AI actors
When people talk about Tilly Norwood, they tend to forget one important detail. That is, behind her is a real person and a creative human vision.
Actors have always brought characters to life, and that’s exactly what I did with Tilly. She didn’t just appear because the AI wanted it to. That’s what I wanted her to do.
She was born thanks to the creativity of our team, our choices, and months of hard work. I wanted to see what was possible with this technology and what we could create. I was in awe. I felt I had to bring this to the attention of the creative community. And she attracted attention.
But despite all the noise, ignoring her human origins misses the point of how AI fits into our future creative work. And that’s where most of the fear comes from.
I would like to start here. Because discussions around AI performers too often exclude artists from their art. AI is not magical in and of itself. It’s a tool for creativity. Calculator for creative minds. I’ve been working in this field for 20 years and AI for over 3 years, and I can tell you this. It’s all about technology, authorship, and ownership. This is not about replacing real-life performance, but giving actors new opportunities in the rapidly emerging new medium of AI film and television.
AI actors are a storytelling vehicle that can be used to play different characters. An AI actor can be a digital twin of a performer, or a bolder, more expressive version of themselves. It could be something completely different, something wilder and more imaginative, something that would never physically exist. Or, as in the case of Tilly Norwood, an AI actor who is younger and more beautiful than you. Some actors may choose to use performance capture to bring their AI actors to life by giving them their faces and movements. Others may prefer to guide their actors like animation, shaping them through intention, timing, and emotional framing. I use a combination of both.
That’s the advantage of AI. AI is not a panacea, but a tool to extend the techniques we have been practicing for centuries.
This is still in progress. just new tools
When I created Tilly Norwood, I didn’t stop being an actor. I became an actor in a new way. Everything about Tilly, her humor, rhythm and style, comes from my own intuition and years of formal training. Tilly does not exist without human guidance. She does not move, speak, or react without careful human guidance. Creating her personality is as much a creative process as animation, puppetry, and performance capture. Think Andy Serkis as Gollum. Gollum was digital, but he was acting. The same goes for Zoe Saldaña in Avatar. Her character was blue and rendered in pixels, so she was still an actor. In fact, she pioneered what she calls “the most empowering form of acting.”
A key opportunity today is that AI offers actors the opportunity to own their work. To me, Tilly is Mickey Mouse, a storytelling vehicle that I created and continues to tell stories in ways we never imagined. For real actors, AI opens new doors and offers the opportunity to bring their digital characters to life through AI actors that are a true extension of their technology.
Ownership is an opportunity
There’s a lot of debate about whether AI characters should be called “actors.” The ethical issue is not terminology, but ownership and consent. AI actors must be built and controlled by performers in the same way that writers own scripts and musicians own masters. This is not about replacing human performers, but giving actors agency to control their future.
When an actor creates an AI actor based on their creative vision, they own their work. They are more than just performers. They are the owners of intellectual property (IP). In this new world, actors can take charge of their creative output in a way they couldn’t before. And yes, before anyone panics, agents can still get their share and unions can still protect their rights.
That’s why I created the AI Talent Studio, where actors and creators can build, license, and protect their own AI actors.
A more ethical way to perform
Here’s a truth that’s often uncomfortable to say. Traditional acting requires performers to put their bodies, and sometimes their mental health, at risk. Dangerous stunts, intimate scenes, extreme physical changes, and endless hours spent on hair, makeup, and retouching are all part of the deal, not to mention constant scrutiny if the performers’ faces dare to age in the “wrong” way. Still, some people find it more acceptable to change a person’s appearance surgically than digitally.
AI actors present a more ethical alternative. AI allows performers to explore roles without the need for dangerous stunts, extreme beauty standards, or invasive procedures. The focus can shift to what really matters: timing, emotional intelligence, intention, and expression. It’s a very human approach, focusing on the true art of storytelling.
AI actors allow performers to continue working without sacrificing their personal lives or physical limitations. Imagine being an actor with family and other responsibilities and still being able to work from home. Hybrid AI production can even be run in rehearsal rooms or minimal sets. AI actors let performers do what they want, how they want.
A puppeteer is always a performer
We’ve seen this before. Although the puppets are not alive, no one doubts the artistry of the puppeteer. The same goes for animated characters, masks, costumes, and motion-captured creatures.
AI actors are simply more responsive puppets, able to learn and adapt to their creators and perform in a variety of mediums. The soul of a performance still belongs to the human behind it. Just like photography, film, and digital editing, AI production requires human taste, judgment, and experience.
Our AI Policy and Copyright Considerations
At Particle6, we take copyright and ethical AI development very seriously. After three years of AI experience, we have developed strict AI policies to ensure our work is done responsibly. Our team is not allowed to reference copyrighted material or upload unlicensed content to open systems. Consent and fair compensation are always required when we create digital twins. Our goal is clear. We want to innovate with AI while respecting intellectual property.
The creation of Tilly Norwood was driven by this policy. In particular, I wanted to avoid infringing on anyone’s portrait rights or copyrights. Our goal was to build something completely original, fresh and new – a character born of our imagination rather than a reproduction of someone’s likeness. I wanted her to resonate with people all over the world, and many people know someone similar to her. Tilly was created by Particle6 using only publicly available tools, without reference to or training in the work of any particular performer. We didn’t train the system to create Tilly.
Ironically, because I wanted to create a completely original character, I seem to have attracted more ire than many of the online deepfake creations that recreate real humans.
Re-skill and re-tool for the future
As AI technology evolves, we believe it is essential to ensure employees are equipped to succeed in this new environment. It’s easy to resist change, as the Luddites did during the Industrial Revolution, for fear that new technology will take away jobs. But history shows that fighting the waves of progress often does more harm than good. Rather than protesting the new industrial revolution on the horizon, we are focused on re-educating and restructuring the industry. We’re proud to help professionals, from costume designers and DOPs to editors and set designers, transition into the AI-driven world of film and television. And these professionals are trying out new skills at Tilly. Behind the scenes, talented people create new costumes, set designs, hair and makeup, and create funny lines. It aims to help creative talent succeed in a changing industry, rather than replacing jobs. Everyone has a place in this new world, and we’re excited to help people tap into the vast possibilities that AI offers.
Don’t shut actors out of the future
AI is here to stay. The question is not whether AI actors will replace actors, but whether actors will establish themselves in this new era or be left behind. AI actors created and owned by performers are not the enemy of acting. They are the next evolution of that.
