Entertainment
AI-generated actor sparks outrage in Hollywood, as creator seeks representation
Like thousands of actors, Tilly Norwood is looking for a Hollywood agent. Her greatest role? Pretending to be human.
That’s because Tilly Norwood is a 100% AI-generated product, created by Dutch producer and comedian Eline Van der Velden, founder of a company named Xicoia, which bills itself as the world’s first artificial intelligence talent studio. Velden pitches her AI creation as the next Scarlet Johansen, and says there are several agents vying to represent it, CBS News’ Jo Ling Kent reported recently.
Since Velden launched the digital character’s prospective career, Tilly Norwood has been all the talk in Hollywood.
But not in a good way. Guilds, actors and filmmakers have met the Xicoia product with an immediate wave of backlash, protesting that artificial intelligence should not have a starring role in the acting profession. In a statement Tuesday, the Screen Actors Guild said that “creativity is, and should remain, human-centered.”
“To be clear, ‘Tilly Norwood’ is not an actor, it’s a character generated by a computer program that was trained on the work of countless professional performers — without permission or compensation,” the guild said. “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.”
Actor Sean Aston, who starred in “Lord of the Rings” and “The Goonies,” and was recently elected president of sag AFTRA, emphasized how AI Tilly Norwood is an artificial construct.
“You’re made up of stuff that doesn’t belong to you,” he told CBS News. “Let’s just make sure that credit is given where credit is due.”
Van der Velden, who is also the founder of the AI production studio Particle6, promoted Tilly Norwood last month at the Zurich Summit, the industry sidebar of the Zurich Film Festival. It was there that she said talent agencies were circling Norwood and that she expected to soon announce a signing.
Many in Hollywood hope that never happens.
“Any talent agency that engages in this should be boycotted by all guilds,” wrote Natasha Lyonne on Instagram. The “Russian Doll” star is directing a feature titled “Uncanny Valley” that pledges to use “ethical” artificial intelligence in combination with traditional filmmaking techniques. “Deeply misguided & totally disturbed,” she added. “Not the way. Not the vibe. Not the use.”
Artificial intelligence is often used as a tool in film production, though its implementation is hotly debated. It was a major bargaining point in the lengthy strike by SAG-AFTRA that concluded in late 2023 with some safeguards put in place to protect the use of actors’ likenesses and performances by AI. A yearlong strike by video game actors hinged on AI protections. In July, video game actors approved a new contract that mandates employers obtain written permission to create a digital replica.
But there have been numerous controversies over the use of AI in acting. The Oscar-winning 2024 film “The Brutalist” used artificial intelligence for Hungarian dialogue spoken by Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones’ characters, the revelation of which prompted debate in the industry.
Van der Velden responded to the stir around Tilly Norwood on Instagram.
“To those who have expressed anger over the creation of my AI character, Tilly Norwood, she is not a replacement for a human being, but a creative work — a piece of art,” Van der Velden said on Sunday. “Like many forms of art before her, she sparks conversation, and that in itself shows the power of creativity.”
Van der Velden didn’t respond to interview requests Tuesday. In her post, she argued that AI characters should be judged as their own genre.
“Creating Tilly has been, for me, an act of imagination and craftsmanship, not unlike drawing a character, writing a role or shaping a performance,” she added. “It takes time, skill and iteration to bring such a character to life.”
That statement was also shared on Tilly Norwood’s own Instagram account. Posts include photos of the creation drinking coffee, shopping for clothes and preparing for various projects. As of Tuesday, the account had more than 33,000 followers.
“Had such a blast filming some screen tests recently,” one post reads. “Every day feels like a step closer to the big screen.”
Asked what human actors bring to a performance that AI can’t, Aston, SAG-AFTRA’s Aston said “authenticity,” adding, “You can fall in love. Your parents can die. You can you can be in some terrifying situation. The sum of all of our emotional experiences in our life, artificial intelligence can approximate it — it is not real.”
Entertainment
Britney Spears contacted by people close to her after DUI arrest
Britney Spears has spoken to both her mother and her two sons following her DUI arrest earlier this week, with those closest to her now rallying around the singer in the aftermath of what sources describe as an deeply emotional night.
According to TMZ, Lynne Spears called her daughter as soon as she heard about the arrest, with the conversation between the two described as “positive” and “hopeful.”
Britney also spoke to her sons Sean Preston, 20, and Jayden James, 19, after being released from jail on Thursday morning, though she has not yet seen any family members in person.
The outreach comes at a particularly raw moment.
Spears was pulled over near the Borchard Road off-ramp in Newbury Park, Ventura County, at around 9:28 p.m. on Wednesday after officers reportedly observed her driving her black BMW “erratically at a high rate of speed.”
She was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of a combination of drugs and alcohol, and an insider told Page Six that officers also found an unknown substance inside her car at the time.
Her chemical test results remain pending and the investigation is ongoing. She was released at 6:07 a.m. Thursday.
Sources paint a picture of a woman who was visibly distressed throughout the process.
Spears was “crying and very tearful” while being booked, according to Page Six.
“She was incredibly emotional,” a source told the outlet. “It’s been a very hard couple of months.” The same insider said Spears “felt ashamed and embarrassed” and is “very sorry” for what happened.
“She doesn’t want to let anyone down, including her fans. The last thing she wants is to be judged publicly all over again.”
Her manager, Cade Hudson, was blunt in his public statement, calling the incident “completely inexcusable” while expressing hope that it might mark a turning point.
Entertainment
Maisie Peters surprises fans in Australia with Ed Sheeran
Maisie Peters gave her Melbourne audience an unexpected treat on Wednesday night when Ed Sheeran walked out on stage to join her for a surprise duet, a moment that clearly meant a great deal to both of them.
Sheeran, 35, appeared at Peters’ show on 4th March during her Before the Bloom Tour in Australia, performing his 2017 hit Castle on the Hill alongside the 25-year-old singer.
Peters shared a clip of the performance on Instagram, captioning it with heartfelt warmth. “Thank you @teddysphotos for singing the best song ever with me at my show in melbourne tonight,” she wrote.
“Still remember watching you play this one all 60 something gigs we did together, and it was so magical getting to join you on it for one. The best to ever do it.”
Sheeran is currently in Australia as part of his own Loop Tour, which will next take him to the Dominican Republic on 9th May before wrapping up in November.
Peters, meanwhile, is gearing up for a busy year.
Her third studio album, Florescence, is due for release in May, following her 2023 sophomore record The Good Witch.
Entertainment
Savannah Guthrie visits “Today” studio, says she intends to return to show
Savannah Guthrie stopped by the “Today” show studio to see colleagues on Thursday, NBC News said in a statement shared with CBS News. It was the first time Guthrie had been in the studio since her mother, Nancy Guthrie, disappeared over a month ago.
NBC said that Guthrie plans to eventually return to “Today.” The network did not specify when that might happen.
“Savannah Guthrie stopped by the studio this morning to be with and thank her TODAY colleagues,” the company said. “While she plans to return to the show on air, she remains focused right now supporting her family and working to help bring Nancy home.”
During her visit to Studio 1A, Guthrie embraced staff and crew, according to “Today.” She reportedly thanked her colleagues for “caring about my mom as much as I do,” the show said.
“I wanted you to know that I’m still standing, and I still have hope, and I’m still me,” she said. “And I don’t know what version of me that will be, but it will be.”
Courtesy NBC/Today/Handout via Reuters
“I have every intention of coming back,” Guthrie also said, according to the show. “I don’t know how to come back, but I don’t know how not to. You’re my family. And I would like to try.”
Guthrie’s last appearance on “Today” was January 30, 2026, two days before Nancy was reported missing. Guthrie has spent most of the past month with her siblings and their families in Arizona, where her mother and sister live.
Law enforcement have said they believe the 84-year-old was taken from her Tucson home overnight in the early morning hours of Feb. 1. No suspects or motive have been publicly identified. Law enforcement is continuing to analyze forensic and digital evidence related to the case.
Guthrie has shared search updates on her social media and recently said that while the family understands they may not find Nancy alive, they “still believe in a miracle.” Guthrie has offered a $1 million reward for information about her mother’s disappearance.
Possession of Nancy Guthrie’s home was recently returned to her family, and the FBI moved its command post from Tucson to Phoenix. A law enforcement source told CBS News the investigation was still continuing at full speed and that the move would allow for law enforcement to operate more efficiently for the long-term.
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