SAG-AFTRA has condemned AI-generated performer Tilly Norwood as a synthetic character trained on stolen performances, warning that signatory producers must comply with contractual obligations before using synthetic performers.
The union representing 160,000 entertainment professionals released a statement after AI talent studio Xicoia unveiled Norwood at the Zurich film festival, prompting immediate backlash from actors including Emily Blunt and Melissa Barrera, reports The Guardian.
“SAG-AFTRA believes creativity is, and should remain, human-centered,” the union stated. “The union is opposed to the replacement of human performers by synthetics.”
The statement directly challenged Norwood’s status, declaring that “Tilly Norwood” is not an actor but “a character generated by a computer program that was trained on the work of countless professional performers — without permission or compensation. 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.”
The union warned that the AI performer “doesn’t solve any ‘problem’ — it creates the problem of using stolen performances to put actors out of work, jeopardising performer livelihoods and devaluing human artistry.”
Norwood appears in AI Commissioner, a short film produced by Particle6 and described as 100 per cent AI-generated. Particle6 CEO Eline Van Der Velden, who launched Xicoia at Zurich, defended the creation, stating that she sees “AI not as a replacement for people, but as a new tool – a new paintbrush.”
Emily Blunt responded on a Variety podcast, saying that the development was “really, really scary” and urging agencies to “please stop taking away our human connection.”
SAG-AFTRA warned signatory producers 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.”
