First 'AI Actress' Tilly Norwood: A Story That Sounds Like a Script

WSJ reported that producer Elaine van der Velden literally 'invented' Tilly in the bathroom of a London club — and turned that joke into the world's first actress created entirely by artificial intelligence. For half a year, the team generated thousands of variations of face and voice, assembling the perfect image: lively facial expressions, British intonation, character, and even habits. That's how Tilly Norwood was born — a virtual artist who jokes, flirts, argues, and even snaps back at her creator.

When Elaine introduced Tilly 'to the public,' a real storm broke out. Hollywood actors and directors saw her as a threat to the profession: Cameron called such characters 'creepy,' del Toro said they were 'soulless,' and Emily Blunt, according to witnesses, became noticeably nervous. Unions started talking about a potential disaster for an industry where studios could replace live actors with digital copies.

💡 But what's interesting is that audiences received Tilly differently. On social media, people write that AI actresses could become a new genre, like the advent of CGI once did. Some even like the idea of an actor who never ages, demands no fees, and can play roles of any complexity. Critics, however, are convinced — as long as real people stand behind Tilly, she remains just a tool, not a full replacement for artists.