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Xicoia Rolls Out The Red Carpet for AI Actress Tilly Norwood
Courtesy of Particle6
Xicoia, a new AI talent studio, sent shockwaves through Hollywood with the announcement of a fully AI-generated actress, Tilly Norwood, who’s reportedly close to signing with a major agency.
The Big Picture: In case it bears repeating, the Hollywood actors’ and writers’ guilds just wrapped a massive strike to ensure AI couldn’t replace them. So while Xicoia says only studios and agencies are showing interest in Tilly, the backlash proves tensions remain high.
Behind The Scenes: Particle6 founder and CEO Eline Van Der Velden revealed the growing popularity of Tilly during the Zurich Summit last weekend.
Xicoia aims to create “AI talent for use in everything from film and TV productions to podcasts, TikTok, YouTube, brand campaigns, and video games — as well as interactions with fans,” per Deadline.
The studio will handle creation, technical management, and monetization for a roster of digital stars.
Its first creation is Tilly Norwood, which operates “on a hybrid model of human creative oversight and autonomous AI responsiveness.”
All of Xicoia’s stars will come with backstories, distinct voices, narrative arcs, and the ability to hold unscripted conversations with fans — tailored to the tone of whatever platform they’re on.
Final Render: Van Der Velden recently said he “wants Tilly to be the next Scarlett Johansson or Natalie Portman,” adding in a LinkedIn post that audiences only “care about the story — not whether the star has a pulse.”
The remarks sparked outrage among real actors. Emily Blunt, Toni Collette, and Melissa Barrera all criticized the idea, while Mara Wilson raised concerns about training data pulled from “hundreds of living young women.”
Coming Soon: If agencies were considering signing Tilly, the backlash may scare them off — especially after OpenAI announced its video generator, Sora, would be trained on copyrighted material. One thing is clear: Hollywood’s battle over AI talent has officially begun.
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Today’s email was written by David Vendrell.
Edited by Nick Comney. Polled and Copy-edited by Kait Cunniff.
Published by Darline Salazar.