Major stars in Hollywood have spoken out on the use of AI in films. A brand-new AI actress was introduced at the Zurich Film Festival on Sept. 27, causing many famous figures to fear of being replaced. While studios see an opportunity to make filmmaking more efficient, actors worry that AI will destroy the arts.
Tilly Norwood is the name of the AI-generated actress created by Eline Van der Velden, founder of Particle6, an AI production studio based in the U.K. Van der Velden prompted controversy when she revealed that her company was in the process of signing the AI actress to a talent agency.
Marvel actor Simu Liu protested on his Instagram story with a sarcastic remark. He stated, “Movies are great, but you know, what would be better is if the characters in them weren’t played by actual humans, but by AI replicas approximating human emotion.”
While actress Emily Blunt was frightened by the concept, she said to Variety, “That is really, really scary, come on, agencies, don’t do that. Please stop. Please stop taking away our human connection.”
Van der Velden believes that AI is the future of the film industry. She has faith that her AI creation Tilly Norwood will be “the next Scarlett Johansson or Natalie Portman.”
Following the harsh criticism since the launch of the synthetic actress, Van der Velden took to Tilly Norwood’s Instagram page (@tillynorwood) to explain, “I see AI not as a replacement for people, but as a new tool—a new paintbrush. Just as animation, puppetry, or CGI opened fresh possibilities without taking away from live acting.”
While I understand where Van der Velden is coming from, the art styles she mentioned all have human-created designs and thought put into them. It is unethical to use AI to create characters and settings and then claim it as a new creative process. As a writer and artist, it breaks my heart to see AI become normalized in the arts because it will eventually make human-made work less valuable.
A common opinion among internet users is that AI lacks emotion. Many have said that audiences will not resonate with AI actors, and it will be difficult to appreciate a film generated entirely by AI. Regarding this, vast numbers of internet users are refusing to watch any screenings from AI productions.
Despite this, Tom Hanks posed an alternate outlook on the use of AI in the film industry. Hanks believes that with the advancements of AI, he will continue to star in films long after his passing.
“Anybody can now recreate themselves at any age they are, by way of AI or deep fake technology. I could be hit by a bus tomorrow and that’s it, but my performances can go on and on and on,” The Academy Award winner told listeners on The Adam Buxton Podcast.
While Hanks’ viewpoint on AI would benefit himself and other big names in Hollywood, I have to question if using AI in this way will hinder the job opportunities for rising actors. Will studios still be looking for new talent if AI can fill the role?
Whether we like it or not, AI is increasingly becoming more prevalent in today’s society. Whether it should or shouldn’t be used in large production films has created a large debate, leaving the future of the film industry as a scary unknown. Will live actors be able to compete with the rise of AI?
