New Particle6 video starring much-maligned AI actress Tilly Norwood slated by viewers on YouTube
The latest Tilly Norwood project has been slammed on YouTube
UK-based AI production studio Particle6’s attempt to persuade the TV industry to “embrace AI as a creative superpower” looks to have backfired, with a video starring controversial AI actress Tilly Norwood attracting hoots of derision on YouTube.
Eline van der Velden, CEO of Particle6 and AI talent studio Xicoia, is the creator of Norwood and has made a musical comedy video which sees the computer-created character perform a new song called Take the Lead.
The tune is described as a “pop-meets-musical-theatre anthem” focusing on the “humanity and creativity behind Tilly”. The lyrics address last year’s industry backlash to the creation of Norwood.
The video has racked up over 22,000 views on YouTube as of this morning, but viewers have reacted with overwhelming negativity to the song, with one commenting: “At least Skynet was honest about trying to erase humanity,” a reference to the evil AI corporation in The Terminator films franchise.
Another unimpressed poster said: “This is the most offensive thing I’ve seen in a long, long time,” while another remarked: “I’m simultaneously nauseous and furious. Anything that needs constant reinforcement about how great it is… isn’t.”
Van der Velden launched Norwood late last September as part of Xicoia’s drive to create, manage and monetise a new generation of AI-generated stars. US actors’ union SAG-AFTRA quickly condemned Norwood’s creation, claiming it “devalues human artistry” in the screen sectors.
Van der Velden has published the video for Take the Lead in the run-up to this weekend’s 98th Academy Awards ceremony. It was generated using AI music platform Suno, with the video made by Particle6 and van der Velden herself acting out Norwood’s performance, before AI post-production effects were layered on top.
The executive says that the process involved “18 real humans” working as a team in roles such as executive producer, director, production designer, costume designer, creative prompter, creative technologist, comedy writer, editor, production assistant, production co-ordinator and an actor. Last week Amazon exec Mark Whelan was hired by the company to build out “The Tillyverse”.
Van der Velden said: “Tilly is, and has always been, a vehicle to test the creative capabilities and boundaries of AI – not take anyone’s job.
“As an actor myself, I have loved bringing Tilly alive for this video and feel that the ability to now use performance capture in this way, to fully inhabit an AI character, is a phenomenal way to bring an unknown actor like me closer to the craft.
“However, at the end of the day, even with brilliant new technology, it’s still important to stress that great AI content isn’t instant – it always takes good ideas, taste, direction, judgement and time. In other words: people remain at the heart of it.”
