AI talent studio Xicoia revealed that its digital actress Tilly Norwood is in final negotiations with several major Hollywood agencies, sparking strong reactions from the acting community and calls to boycott any agency that decides to represent “synthetic performers.”
Tilly first appeared last month in a comedy sketch, and her studio developed a detailed biography, a unique voice, and a narrative arc that unfolds across different projects. Behind Xicoia is the production company Particle6, and founder Eline Van der Velden claims she wants Tilly to become “the new Scarlett Johansson or Natalie Portman.”
Van der Velden highlights how the industry has shifted from complete skepticism to enthusiasm in just a few months, adding: “The era of synthetic actors is not something that’s coming — it’s already here.”
However, many actors have reacted sharply, urging colleagues to leave any agency that signs Tilly Norwood, warning that this could jeopardize human artists and their rights.
This situation follows the recent popularity of AI musician Xanie Monet, showing that the boundaries between real and digital performers are rapidly fading. And while part of Hollywood is clearly embracing this new era, others see it as a threat to authenticity and the very future of the acting profession.
In brief: Tech World Highlights
- Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba reported profits in the June quarter that exceeded expectations, boosting its stock by nearly 13% in the U.S. and more than 19% in Hong Kong.
- Meta’s flagship Superintelligence Labs team is reportedly facing early staff departures and tensions with data partner Scale AI, marking a difficult start for the new division.
- Alibaba is developing a new AI chip and plans to invest $53.1 billion in AI over the next three years, while continuing to source semiconductors from suppliers like Nvidia.
- Tesla is appealing a jury verdict that found it partially liable for a fatal crash linked to its Enhanced Autopilot feature, which ordered the company to pay $242.5 million in damages.
- OpenAI plans to build a massive 1-gigawatt data center and open an office in India as part of its global “Stargate” infrastructure initiative, according to Bloomberg.
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