Two years after SAG-AFTRA reached an agreement with the AMPTP over unauthorized use of artificial intelligence, an AI-generated “actress” was introduced. Her name is Tilly Norwood, and she has a Wikipedia page. Unveiled by her creator, AI talent studio Xicoia and Particle6 CEO Eline Van der Velden, at the 2025 Zurich Film Festival’s Zurich Summit, the studio claimed that Norwood could land representation with real talent agencies — prompting widespread concern across the film industry.

“Xicoia doesn’t intend to limit itself to a few characters. The studio’s goal is to develop a universe encompassing over 40 digital personalities, which will coexist within a coherent narrative,” Xicoia’s website reads. “In practice, this means that events in the life of one character will have consequences for others. Just like in extensive film or comic book franchises.”

With a goal to make Norwood “the next Scarlett Johansson or Natalie Portman,” Van der Velden told Broadcast International that financials struggles in the film and television business have accelerated AI production.

So, what does this mean for actors and the entire entertainment industry? As that question lingers, learn about Tilly and “her” creator below.

No — Tilly is not a real person. “She” is an AI-generated digital personality that its creator, Xicoia, and Van der Velden introduced at the 2025 Zurich Summit.

After Deadline reported on Norwood’s introduction via Instagram, multiple commenters claimed the AI creation resembles a Scottish actress named Briony Monroe.

Monroe shared Deadline’s article about the AI-generated creation to her own Instagram. She wrote, in part, “It has been brought to my attention that an image of my face may have been used for this picture of ‘Tilly Norwood’ (an AI created “actress”). If you agree that this is my image, please would you mind commenting on their post and pointing this out? I’m so scared what this could lead to. Very much appreciated!”

Xicoia has yet to address Monroe’s statement at the time of publication.

Who Is the Creator of Tilly Norwood?

As previously noted, Van der Velden is the CEO of Particle6, which oversees the AI talent studio Xicoia, the creator of Norwood. Van der Velden defended the AI character in response to backlash from filmmakers, actors, writers and other human artists.

“To those who have expressed anger over the creation of my AI character, Tilly Norwood, she is not a replacement for a human being, but a creative work – a piece of art,” Van der Velden wrote in a statement. “Like many forms of art before her, she sparks conversation, and that in itself shows the power of creativity.”

Who Is Eline Van der Velden? 

Van der Velden is a Dutch actress, comedian, writer and producer based in London, England. She is the founder of Particle6 Productions, a digital agency that specializes in video content creation.

Hollywood Reacts to AI-Generated ‘Actress’ Tilly Norwood

After countless celebrities — including Emily Blunt and Lucy Hale — condemned the introduction of the AI character, SAG-AFTRA released a statement.

“To be clear, ‘Tilly Norwood’ is not an actor, it’s a character generated by a computer program that was trained on the work of countless professional performers — without permission or compensation,” SAG-AFTRA’s statement read. “It has no life experience to draw from, no emotion and, from what we’ve seen, audiences aren’t interested in watching computer-generated content untethered from the human experience. It doesn’t solve any ‘problem’ — it creates the problem of using stolen performances to put actors out of work, jeopardizing performer livelihoods and devaluing human artistry.”

The union continued, “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.”

According to Variety, Van der Velden claimed via LinkedIn that the public cares less about the concept of celebrity and more about a film’s storyline. “Audiences? They care about the story — not whether the star has a pulse,” she claimed in her comment. “Tilly is already attracting interest from talent agencies and fans. The age of synthetic actors isn’t ‘coming’ — it’s here.”