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Tilly Norwood Would Love to Work With Tom Holland and Olivia Colman: ‘But Only If It Were Their Digital Twins’ on an ‘AI Production’
Eline van der Velden, creator of the AI actress Tilly Norwood, reflected on the year since the actress's controversial introduction at Zurich Film Festival, acknowledging both the backlash and unexpected success. Van der Velden explained that Tilly was created to bridge communication between the tech and entertainment industries, and her company Particle 6 has since grown eightfold, expanding into AI advertising, film, television and consultancy work.
At the festival, Tilly herself appeared on stage and expressed interest in working with Tom Holland and Olivia Colman, though only as "digital twins" in AI productions. The AI actress, who does not have a traditional agent, described the public backlash as humorous, noting that "nobody hated me particularly; they just sort of hated the future." The company has strategically declined traditional film roles, focusing instead on AI-specific projects, and has recently brought acclaimed filmmaker Rob Minkoff on board as executive producer for their new project "Storm Dogs".
In short
- AI actress Tilly Norwood returns to Zurich Film Festival one year after controversial debut
- Creator's company has expanded eightfold with focus on AI in entertainment
- Actress interested in digital-twin collaborations with A-list actors only
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Proponents of AI entertainment technology view it as genuine innovation that expands creative possibilities and reduces production constraints in filmmaking. Digital performers could enable new storytelling approaches, tackle technically challenging or dangerous scenes, and create productive collaborations between technology and entertainment sectors that generate economic growth and artistic experimentation. The market response to ventures like Particle 6 demonstrates real demand for these tools in advertising and experimental film production.
The case against
Critics argue that synthetic performers pose a material threat to human actors' livelihoods and undermine the authentic craft of performance that audiences genuinely value. The proposition to create digital twins of established actors without their full participation raises significant ethical concerns about consent, intellectual property rights, and whether performance art should be reducible to replicable data. Many contend that cinema's power derives from authentic human vulnerability and presence, which technological efficiency cannot adequately replace.
Explained simply
Tilly Norwood is an artificial intelligence actress created by Dutch entrepreneur Eline van der Velden through her company, Particle 6. She was unveiled at the Zurich Film Festival about a year ago and generated considerable public debate about the role of artificial intelligence in entertainment. Her introduction sparked both backlash and unexpected business success.
Despite the controversy, Particle 6 has expanded eightfold into advertising, television, film production and consultancy work. The company has avoided traditional film roles for Tilly, instead focusing on projects created specifically for AI actors. Tilly has expressed interest in collaborating with established actors as digital twins in AI-produced films, positioning such work as complementary to human talent rather than a replacement for it.
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