Tilly Norwood, a London‑based Instagram personality with about 40,000 followers, is not a real person but an AI‑generated character created by Xicoia, the AI division of production company Particle6. Founder Eline Van der Velden introduced Norwood at the Zurich Film Festival and is seeking an agent for the synthetic performer. The concept has sparked strong reactions, including a startled comment from actress Emily Blunt and a firm opposition from SAG‑AFTRA, which warned that synthetic performers threaten human artistry and livelihoods. Van der Velden defended Norwood as a piece of art, while industry unions call for contractual safeguards as AI tools like OpenAI’s Sora 2 advance. Read more →