Μake us preferred on Google The live television appearances of Tilly Norwood, a digital “actress” created entirely with artificial intelligence, have been making the rounds online in recent days. Her creators present her as the world’s first AI-generated actress.
Norwood is currently on an unusual promotional “tour” for the upcoming film “Misaligned,” in which she is expected to play a lead role. As part of the campaign, she has appeared on major American and British outlets, including CNN, CBS, NBC, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter and ITV.
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Her interviews quickly became a topic of discussion, as hosts didn’t stick to predictable questions but instead tried to test the limits of the AI “actress.”
The CNN Interview and Trouble With Improvisation
The first of her widely discussed appearances took place on September 8 on CNN. Tilly introduced herself in English, describing herself as “smart, warm” and a fan of dry British humor.
During the conversation, she was able to identify objects shown on screen and interact with the journalists. At one point, however, she didn’t immediately recognize her creator, Eline Van der Velden, founder of the production company Particle6.
The biggest issue came when the journalists asked her to step outside her role and improvise. Specifically, she was asked to play a woman who had just learned her dog had died. Tilly struggled to respond spontaneously, and according to reports, the production team needed extensive editing and guidance through prompts to produce the final result.
The conversation also turned to whether her presence threatens the jobs of human actors. Her response was that she sees herself as “a new paintbrush for directors, not a replacement for painters,” a line she repeats whenever she’s pressed on criticism of her role. Tilly also suggested that the Academy could create separate award categories for AI-assisted work.
“Would You Be Responsible for the End of Humanity?”
The AI “actress” also appeared on the British show “Good Morning Britain.” There, the hosts confronted her with one of the most debated issues surrounding artificial intelligence: warnings about the technology’s potential consequences and, in some scenarios, even the threat it could pose to humanity.
When asked directly whether she could be responsible for the end of humanity, Tilly answered with humor: “Honestly, I think that’s a bit dramatic. My goal is to make a great film, not wipe out humanity.” She added that if it did happen, it would at least make “an amazing sequel.”
The Moment She Started Speaking Cantonese
The strangest moment, though, came during her appearance on “Piers Morgan Uncensored,” where she sat across from Piers Morgan and actor Tom Cody.
The discussion centered on “Misaligned” and, specifically, on whether the rest of the cast were real people or digital creations. Cody asked Tilly whether her co-stars were real actors or also digitally generated.
At first, Tilly didn’t answer directly and instead described the film as a “hybrid production” involving real directors, writers and editors. When Cody pressed her again, she said the rest of the cast were “digital twins,” just like her.
Then she abruptly stopped speaking English and began speaking Cantonese for about 15 seconds.
The moment caused surprise and laughter on set. Piers Morgan asked her why she’d suddenly switched to Chinese, while Tom Cody looked visibly confused. When she switched back to English, Tilly apologized and called it “a little hiccup.” “I definitely didn’t mean to start speaking Chinese or impersonate Piers. Sometimes my wires get crossed,” she said with humor.
The clip quickly went viral on social media, racking up millions of views. Her creator, Eline van der Velden, offered a different take on the incident, suggesting the digital actress may simply have wanted to show off her language skills.
The string of interviews has reignited the debate over how controllable and predictable digital characters’ behavior can be when they’re asked to interact live with humans.
