Who Is Tilly Norwood? Why Hollywood's New 'Scarlett Johansson' Is Sparking Fierce Controversy About AI

Tilly Norwood is the face everyone is talking about, but she doesn't exist. Billed as 'the next Scarlett Johansson' by her creators, this digital actress is currently at the heart of a furious debate, exposing a deep rift in Hollywood.

As technology advances, the emergence of hyper-realistic, AI-generated stars is forcing the industry to confront tough questions about intellectual property, human artistry, and the future of film.

Tilly Norwood: Ready for Her Close-Up

The company behind the digital star, Tilly Norwood, is currently negotiating with studio bosses and talent managers in Hollywood who are keen to sign her. During the recently concluded Zurich Summit, actress and technologist Eline Van der Velde announced that her AI talent agency, Xicoia, was nearing the finalisation of an agreement for Norwood's management.

Should a manager succeed in signing Norwood, she would be one of the first AI-created stars to gain professional representation — a service usually kept for real-life performers.

'When we first launched Tilly, people were like, "What's that?" Now we're going to be announcing which agency is going to be representing her in the next few months', Ms Van der Velde reportedly told Variety.

Norwood's debut performance was in a comedy sketch named 'AI Commissioner', a piece that looks at the future of television development. 'Can't believe it...my first ever role is live! I star in "AI Commissioner"', Norwood announced on her Facebook page.

However, not everyone in the industry is welcoming this development; the rapid rise of AI performers has sparked fierce backlash and protests among high-profile Hollywood actors.

Stars Push Back: The Uproar in Tinseltown

As Norwood, who has been dubbed the 'next Scarlett Johansson', garnered attention from agencies, many A-list performers voiced their strong disapproval. In the Heights actress Melissa Barrera, for instance, wrote on her Instagram Stories: 'Hope all actors repped by the agent that does this, drop their a$$. How gross, read the room'.

Concurrently, Matilda actress Mara Wilson questioned the move, asking: 'And what about the hundreds of living young women whose faces were composited together to make her? You couldn't hire any of them?'

Emily Blunt described the creation as 'terrifying'. Meanwhile, Whoopi Goldberg commented that it was like going up against something that's been generated with 5,000 other actors. The actor Ralph Ineson of The Fantastic Four simply wrote on X: 'F*** off'.

'Not a Replacement': Creator Defends AI as Art

In response to the intense criticism, Der Velde made it clear that Norwood was never intended to 'replace' people, but was instead a 'work of art'.

'For those who feel upset about the creation of my AI personality, Tilly Norwood, I want to stress that she isn't intended to replace a person, but is a creative effort — a work of art. As with many artistic creations before her, she starts a discussion, and that alone demonstrates the influence of imagination'.

'I see AI not as a replacement for people, but as a new tool, a new paintbrush. Just as animation, puppetry, or CGI opened fresh possibilities without taking away from live acting, AI offers another way to imagine and build stories. I'm an actor myself, and nothing — certainly not an AI character- can take away the craft or joy of human performance'.