The British coalition’s impartiality has joined the criticism directed at Tilly Norwood, the so-called AI “actress,” who has been in the spotlight for much of this week as one of the industry’s most controversial new developments.
Following the blame from SAG-AFTRA, UK equity executives rejected Norwood’s proposal for acting abilities, but provided deep concern about the origins of the source material used to build her.
“Tillie isn’t an actress. She’s an AI tool. Or she’s in the AI tool. It’s not a performer,” said Shannon Sailing, Equity’s audio and new media organizer. “But the tool is made up of performers’ jobs and I’m worried about where the job comes from and whether it’s agreed to be used that way.”
Meanwhile, General Secretary Paul Fleming said he is looking at ways that equity can see how the creation of AI, such as Norwood, has been put together.
“We are in the AI stage and so much data is being used that the original source is increasingly unclear. It needs to worry about all viewers, all workers. “As a union, we are considering making corporate requests to ensure that there is no abuse of our members’ work, in order to find out where the data contained in these creatures comes from.”
Norwood sparked an immediate backlash early in the week after Eline Van Der Velden, head of AI production studio Particle 6, who developed the character, claimed that he had already attracted attention from people who wanted her to sign.
“It feels irresponsible to me,” News Sailing said. “I think agents should really focus on ensuring that the industry is supporting performers when AI collapses.”
A few days after the agent claimed to be knocking on the door about Norwood, Vanderwerden offered her creative defense, saying it was a “work of art, a creative work, not a human alternative.”
“I think of AI as a new tool, a new paintbrush, not as a replacement for people,” added Vander Werden. “Just like animation, puppets, or CGI opened up fresh possibilities without robbing live performances, AI offers another way to imagine and build stories. I am myself, not AI characters, and I cannot take away the craft or joy of human performance.”
