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Scary. Terrifying. Deeply misguided.

Those were among the visceral reactions this week from Emily Blunt, Whoopi Goldberg, Natasha Lyonne and many other actors and filmmakers over the sudden fame of Tilly Norwood.

Norwood isn’t real — the brunette who appears in a comedy sketch on her Instagram page is in fact a computer-generated composite.

“I may be AI, but I’m feeling very real emotions right now,” states a message on Norwood’s Instagram page. “I am so excited for what’s coming next!”

The sentiment was not widely shared, at least in Hollywood, where anxieties about the use and abuse of artificial intelligence replacing actors runs deep.

Norwood’s creator ignited a furor after she announced that the digital actress would soon be signed by a talent agency.

This week, SAG-AFTRA weighed in with a withering response. Two years ago, the union’s members engaged in a 118-day strike to fight for more AI protections in their contracts with major studios.

“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 doesn’t solve any ‘problem’ — it creates the problem of using stolen performances to put actors out of work, jeopardizing performer livelihoods and devaluing human artistry.”

Norwood was created by AI through Xicoia, a London-based AI talent studio launched by Dutch actor Eline Van der Velden. Xicoia is working with estates and Hollywood stars who want to appear as their younger selves on screen, according to Deadline, which first reported talent agency interest in Norwood.

Van der Velden, who is also the founder of AI production company Particle6, was not available for comment on Wednesday. But in a statement posted on Instagram following the backlash, Van der Velden stressed that Norwood is “a creative work — a piece of art.”

“I see AI not as a replacement for people, but as a new tool — a new paintbrush,” Van der Velden said. “Just as animation, puppetry, or CGI opened fresh possibilities without taking away from live acting, AI offers another way to imagine and build stories.”

SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin disputed the claim.

He said in an interview with The Times that the material used to create Norwood was “improperly obtained” from SAG-AFTRA members’ work without permission, compensation or acknowledgment.

“It manipulates something that already exists, so the conceit that it isn’t harming actors — because it is its own new thing — ignores the fundamental truth that it is taking something that doesn’t belong to them,” Astin said.

“We want to allow our members to benefit from new technologies. … They need to give permission for it, and they need to be bargained with.”

Norwood has 44,000 followers on Instagram and is portrayed as an aspiring young actor based in London who enjoys shopping and iced coffee.

The social media page depicts Norwood in various scenes. In one, she’s armed and ready to battle a monster; in another, she’s running away from a collapsing building in a futuristic city.

At an industry panel in Zurich on Saturday, Van der Velden touted her creation.

“With Tilly, you know, when we first launched her, people were like, ‘That’s not going to happen,’” Van der Velden said. “And now, we’re going to announce which agency is going to be representing her in the next few months. It’s all changing and everyone is starting to see the light, fortunately.”

Talent agencies have represented digital characters used in ad campaigns. And seeing such avatars in the mainstream has become increasingly common — in 2024, Japanese digital character Hatsune Miku performed at Coachella and an AI model was featured in the August issue of Vogue magazine for L.A. brand Guess.

And some studios, including Lionsgate, have partnerships with AI startups to explore using the technology in areas such as storyboarding. Others, such as Netflix and Amazon MGM Studios, have series that use AI in visual effects.

Tech companies have argued that they should be able to train their AI models on content available online and bring up relevant information under the “fair use” doctrine, which allows for the limited reproduction of content without permission from the copyright holder.

But the proliferation of AI has also fueled concerns that AI companies are using copyrighted material to train their models without compensation or permission. Earlier this year, Disney, Universal and Warner Bros. Discovery sued AI companies over copyright infringement.

Some actors called for a boycott of any agents who decide to represent Norwood. “Read the room, how gross,” “In the Heights” actor Melissa Barrera wrote on Instagram.

“Our members reserve the right to not be in business with representatives who are operating in an unfair conflict of interest, who are operating in bad faith,” Astin said.

Walt Disney Co., Universal Pictures and Warner Bros. Discovery on Tuesday sued a Chinese artificial intelligence firm called MiniMax for copyright infringement, alleging its AI service generates iconic characters including Darth Vader, the Minions and Wonder Woman without the studios’ permission.

“MiniMax’s bootlegging business model and defiance of U.S. copyright law are not only an attack on Plaintiffs and the hard-working creative community that brings the magic of movies to life, but are also a broader threat to the American motion picture industry,” the companies said in their complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.

The entertainment companies requested that MiniMax be restrained from further infringement. They are seeking damages of up to $150,000 per infringed work, as well as attorney fees and costs.

This is the latest round of copyright lawsuits that major studios have brought against AI companies over intellectual property concerns. In June, Disney and Universal Pictures sued AI firm Midjourney for copyright infringement. Earlier this month, Warner Bros. Discovery also sued Midjourney.

Shanghai-based MiniMax has a service called Hailuo AI, which is marketed as a “Hollywood studio in your pocket” and used characters including the Joker and Groot in its ads without the studios’ permission, the studios’ lawsuit said. Users can type in a text prompt requesting “Star Wars’” iconic character Yoda or DC Comics’ Superman, and Hailuo AI can pull up high quality and downloadable images or video of the character, according to the document.

“MiniMax completely disregards U.S. copyright law and treats Plaintiffs’ valuable copyrighted characters like its own,” the lawsuit said. “MiniMax’s copyright infringement is willful and brazen.”

“Given the rapid advancement in technology in the AI video generation field … it is only a matter of time until Hailuo AI can generate unauthorized, infringing videos featuring Plaintiffs’ copyrighted characters that are substantially longer, and even eventually the same duration as a movie or television program,” the lawsuit said.

MiniMax did not immediately return a request for comment.

Hollywood is grappling with significant challenges, including the threat of AI, as companies consolidate and reduce their expenses as production costs rise. Many actors and writers, still recovering from strikes that took place in 2023, are scrambling to find jobs. Some believe the growth of AI has threatened their livelihoods as tech tools can replicate iconic characters with text prompts.

While some studios have sued AI companies, others are looking for ways to partner with them. For example, Lionsgate has partnered with AI startup Runway to help with behind the scenes processes such as storyboarding.

A WOMAN has been left fuming after claiming her ‘psycho’ neighbour chopped down her garden’s trees without permission.

In a video, she shared the before and after of her outdoor space, with her garden looking like a mess after the massacre. 

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On her account, she shared the entire story – and people are split in the comments. 

She claimed: “About two months ago, our neighbor asked us to remove our trees because flowers were falling into his yard. 

“Of course I felt terrible but we said no, because I loved those trees for many reasons. “However, we immediately had them professionally cut back (which we do every other year, per our landscaper’s recommendation). He lost it. 

“He sent a bunch of unhinged messages to my husband but we thought it had blown over after we had the trees cut back and the flowers stopped blooming.

“Fast forward to this past weekend, while we weren’t home (which he knew), they were mysteriously chopped down. Every last one. 

“They were cut aggressively and conveniently in a way that ensured nothing fell into his yard.”

She shared how she had asked neighbours if they had seen what happened – and word got back to the person they suspect did it. 

The woman claims he then started sending her husband “threatening messages” filled with “profanity and intimidation.”

The social media user said she wasn’t sharing the story for sympathy but because she felt “heartbroken”. 

She said she has filed a police report and is trying to get justice over the incident.

People were quick to tune in on the tree debacle, with one saying: “Huge trees are a pain in a garden but you cannot just go in neighbors garden and cut them down!”

Another also supported her saying: “What type of psycho goes to another person’s yard and cuts down their trees!!!! 

“It’s truly insane. I’m sorry this was done to you.”

However, some people took the neighbour’s side.

One wrote: “Why do people plant their trees so close to the border?”

Another added: “understand your feelings but anything hanging over his yard I presume he can legally cut back?”

What are your rights if a neighbour’s tree hangs into your garden?

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In order to prevent overhanging branches turning into furious rows between neighbours, Natalie Welsh, head of property at HCB Widdows Mason shared what your rights are in this tricky situation.

“It can be really frustrating when branches or plants from your neighbour’s garden start to spill over into your space”, she said.
“In England and Wales, you’re allowed to cut back any branches that cross onto your property, but only up to the boundary line.

“Just make sure you don’t step onto your neighbour’s land or damage the tree itself.”

When trimming a tree back, you are not allowed to lean into your neighbour’s garden, since that can be considered trespassing.

Natalie advised that before taking any drastic action, it’s best to have a friendly chat with your neighbour first.