SAG-AFTRA Slams AI Casting Push After Tilly Norwood Controversy

Hollywood just met its latest disruptor, and it is not even human. An AI character named Tilly Norwood is being pitched as the first AI actress to land representation. Cute name. Very dystopian energy.

The reaction so far has been about what you would expect: not great. Most of the noise is coming from people who think this sets a terrible precedent and mostly benefits folks trying to cut costs by skipping real, living actors.

SAG-AFTRA is not amused

Variety says the actors union weighed in quickly, which makes sense since they spent months fighting this exact stuff during the 2023 strike. Their statement is... blunt:

"To be clear, 'Tilly Norwood' is not an actor, it is a character generated by a computer program that was trained on the work of countless professional performers - without permission or compensation. It has no life experience to draw from, no emotion and, from what we have seen, audiences are not interested in watching computer-generated content untethered from the human experience. It does not solve any 'problem' - it creates the problem of using stolen performances to put actors out of work, jeopardizing performer livelihoods and devaluing human artistry."

They also fired off a practical warning to anyone under their contracts:

"Signatory producers should be aware that they may not use synthetic performers without complying with our contractual obligations, which require notice and bargaining whenever a synthetic performer is going to be used."

Translation, in plain English: if you are a producer working under SAG-AFTRA, you cannot quietly swap in an AI face or voice without telling the union and negotiating it. That is the inside-baseball part that will matter if this trend spreads.

So what is Tilly, exactly?

Tilly Norwood is not a single tool or app. She is a composite built with more than 10 different AI systems, including ChatGPT and Runway, put together by an outfit calling itself Xicoia, which bills itself as an AI talent agency-slash-studio. Deadline reports these AI performers come with distinct voices and personalities and can instantly shift mood and tone based on who they are talking to. The pitch is that these synthetic stars can work nonstop, never age, and interact directly with fans.

Xicoia founder Eline Van der Velden frames it as building living, performing IP where the secret sauce is still storytelling and the humans shaping it, not just the tech. The goal, in her view, is a new wave of cultural icons who happen to be artificial.

• Name: Tilly Norwood, a computer-generated 'actress' that could be the first AI performer signed to an agency
• Built with: 10+ AI tools, including ChatGPT and Runway
• Who is behind it: Xicoia, an AI talent agency/studio; creator Eline Van der Velden
• Capabilities (per Deadline/Xicoia): unique voice and persona, instant mood/tone shifts, fan interactivity, does not tire or age
• Industry reaction: strong pushback; many see it as a cost-cutting move that sidelines human actors
• Union stance (per Variety): SAG-AFTRA says Tilly is not an actor, alleges training on performers without consent or pay, and warns signatory producers they must notify and bargain before using any 'synthetic performer'

Bottom line: Tilly Norwood is the shiny, headline-friendly face of a bigger fight that is not going away. The tech folks are promising efficiency and new kinds of stars. The union is calling it theft dressed up as innovation. And the rest of us are about to find out whether audiences actually want AI characters headlining their stories, or if this is just a cost-saver nobody asked for.