Artificial intelligence is dominating the technological world at the moment, but with AI becoming as big as it is said to be, concerns about its ethics have been a topic of conversation in many industries. Even in the film industry, directors, actors and writers all over the world are trying to take a stand so that AI doesn’t take their place or use their likeness or work without consent. In between all this, AI-generated actor Tilly Norwood has sparked further controversy, with many rallying against the idea. Now, the creator of Tilly, Eline van der Velden, has spoken up about her creation.
Velden, who is the CEO of AI company Particle6, shared with Variety why she thinks that Tilly is important for the future of Hollywood. For those calling Tilly nothing more than a piece of code, Velden said, “When people talk about Tilly Norwood, they often forget one crucial detail: there’s a real person and a creative human vision behind her. Actors have always brought characters to life, and that’s exactly what I did with Tilly. She didn’t simply appear because AI wanted her to, I wanted her to!”
She called the use of AI actors more ethical than traditional acting, arguing that this will help actors take up difficult and challenging roles without going through the physical and mental burden. She said, “Dangerous stunts, intimate scenes, extreme physical transformations and endless hours of hair, makeup and retouching are all part of the deal, not to mention the constant scrutiny if a performer’s face dares to age in the ‘wrong’ way. And yet, some find it more acceptable for a person to change their appearance through surgery rather than digitally.”
Velden continued to call it a more “ethical alternative” with which an actor can avoid “dangerous stunts, extreme beauty standards or invasive procedures.” Comparing AI actors to puppets, Welden said, “We’ve seen this before: A puppet is not alive, yet no one doubts the artistry of the puppeteer. The same is true for animated characters, masks, costumes and motion-captured creatures. An AI actor is simply a more responsive puppet – one that can learn, adapt to its creator and perform across mediums.”
This statement comes right after 700 members of the Hollywood community, including actors like Scarlett Johansson, Cate Blanchett, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, joined an anti-AI campaign. The group released a statement where they demanded “better copyright laws” and argued that “stealing is not innovation.” The statement also read, “It’s not progress. It’s theft – plain and simple. A better way exists – through licensing deals and partnerships, some AI companies have taken the responsible, ethical route to obtaining the content and materials they wish to use.”
