On Tilly Norwood

Talking about the AI-generated actress and her outlook going forward.

Admiration for something or someone is normal. We feed into this admiration to satisfy our own feelings of happiness. Would it matter if this admiration for such person or entity were real? People admire cartoon, video game, TV/movie, comic book, and any fictional character(s) thereof, so who, or what, am I talking about? Let's say hello to Tilly Norwood—a beautiful actress...artificially created.

To say that there exists people who admire Tilly Norwood is an unusual fact. It is an atrocity among us humans, who shed every blood, sweat, and tears to make ends meet; producing the best artistry there is and what we're capable of doing, showing what we can do to an open audience. Now, introducing a figmentary being, with no semblance of existing physically, puts us at odds. There's no reason a digital beauty like Tilly ought to exist, given that there are beautiful people walking among us already. Entertainment has no shortage of workers wanting a shot at working, and now, their chances plunged having been introduced to a computer-generated being that has caught the eyes of top producers. This produced fear that they, themselves, may not be needed after all, and it hurts to see fellow humans and their hard work go to waste.

Then again, perhaps there's a reason for Tilly, and it's more than just looks, acting, and AI in general.

Tilly Norwood is a beautiful girl. Thing is, it's not her beauty that's causing a stir among workers in the entertainment business; it's her automated non-existence, coming off as real, created by a production company, Particle6, having more potential quicker than someone working their way up. The fact that she's brought to 'life' came as a shock for many; but for us, it wasn't surprising—knowing this was going to happen at one point—that a 'digital personality' was soon going to grace our stage. She's a pretty girl who'll never age; and because of her digital existence, she'll never tire out nor complain. In a sense, she'll always be available to work. What's the problem?

Back to Basics

One website I used to visit made a reference to This Person Does Not Exist (this-person-does-not-exist.com) back in 2021. It's a website that generates random, realistic images of people...who don't exist. I couldn't believe it, but was fascinated at the same time; from its image quality to the person themselves, I feared that these things will have a use and very few will be able to tell if the image, or person, is real. It wasn't until 2022 when the world introduced AI into arts, jobs, and slowly, our everyday lives where I thought, "oh, they're here now." With content-creation being a full-time job for most, generating images and short video clips, with AI, is being done; writing—books, software—online searching, and even companionship are gaps being supplemented with these large language models (LLMs); and like technology itself, its quality continues to improve, blurring lines between something real or automated (it's good practice to tell your audiences if something you present to them was artificially created). It's late 2025, and suddenly, Particle6 created an AI actress, with a face that mommy and daddy love, garnering interest among executives. You'd think that consumption of anything artificial is detrimental to one's health, but that's besides the point. It's no surprise that both current and potential workers in the entertainment industry are angered by this; suddenly, our own existence is under threat, leading some to even question what good is living. (Life is still worth it; calm down, folks.)

I will always favor human-created work. After all, I am a human too, and have pursued the creative arts since I was 14 years old, from video production to writing. I'm okay with Tilly Norwood and the company that created her—an AI actress created by a human. We should be proud of being able to create. However, such creation having an upper hand against the working populace isn't considered fair; and I completely understand.

Executives showing interest in a digital actress tells me there's an ethical issue involving work. The fact that Tilly is readily available to a producer's desire means there aren't skills nor talents they consider quality standard. There are countless news articles about job hopping, quiet quitting, plus many other workplace trends that ruin a business. There's nothing worse than a worker getting hired, then parading around, and not doing anything as if they're exempt from doing work; but when told to, they do a poor job. Bosses won't have to worry about that with Tilly: She'll be there and can work no problem; pay won't be an issue, as it will be directed to the company that created her. She'll be winning over other workers who whine, lecture, and complain about not having enough: be it pay, gigs, screen time, or even interviews. Sure, movies flop here and there, while some become huge hits; on the other hand, not counting a movie's story/premise, films fail for other reasons—an actor's ego, attitude or just being a poor judgment of character are examples. Whether Tilly's movie(s) succeed or not, she won't go off on social media shaming fans for not paying to watch her work; she looks like someone unwilling to let a bad day ruin her, nor is Tilly the type to project her insecurities on others. With that, she's flexible; she'll never be late; and she'll never negotiate for higher pay mid-way through a film shoot. (I say all this as if she were a real person.) When was the last time actors, and others in the industry, displayed such behavior relative to Tilly? I know, it's a tough business and nothing is given, but sometimes, we forget the basics. Even so, having these producers invest in your project(s) won't guarantee success. If and when such film/show succeeds, then congratulations! Then what? Another remake?

The question being asked here is complex: Workers are under threat over a non-existent person, while touching upon the philosophy and ethics of AI. The complexities of these topics aren't for those who (over)react emotionally, as rational and critical thinking are required. Whether this girl's creation was done on purpose or for giggles by Tilly's creator and actress herself, Eline van der Velden, it has awoken a giant that has gotten in the way this entire time. I get it: We want to feel that what we're doing is worth it, let alone the hours, effort and passion shown in what we do. For that, why are people still unsatisfied after all that work you put in? I also get it: Not everything shown and produced will satisfy everyone, and some are catered to a specific kind of audience. It looks like animation, especially anime, seems to be the hottest genre that appeal to most. Plenty of fans admire anime characters, and that is all fine; but Tilly, being an artificially-created being, seems to exude the same thing, yet people don't like her. Okay, so a hand-drawn, anime character doesn't pose any threat, but a computer-generated being that looks, walks, talks, and 'acts' like a human being does? There are enough bad actors in existence today, so how do we know that Tilly is any better/worse? Since anime is its own genre, perhaps this may be a chance to introduce one for AI? I don't recall any animator seeing anime as a threat to their profession.

I feel bad for company owners, hiring managers, and supervisors having to deal with rowdy workers who treat their workplace like a daycare center, not a place to get things done. Many who work in the entertainment industry would say otherwise, but I hope it won't hurt to ask: Is the entertainment industry a business to entertain the masses, or is it activism disguised as entertainment? Here, I thought that entertainment served as an escape from reality; to embrace every human emotion possible, while enjoying a story that stretches our imaginations. Seeing these past years featuring nothing but lecturing and demanding of unwanted attention, shaming those they disagree with sociologically and politically, I'm not surprised that an AI actress is getting more 'eyeballs' than fellow humans. It wouldn't surprise me if AI-generated personalities receive more legal protection than us humans. You don't have to like her, nor agree with me, but perhaps seeing the good in things would help? See Tilly as a reminder that you're the better worker/actor, and why human workers are still "king?"

I haven't seen anything that Tilly said nor done that would shame/guilt me over who I am and what I'm about. I believe that's the problem today with these workers. They entertain us at the expense of telling us right from wrong; what we're supposed to believe; how we should live our lives; and why people like us, and myself, are bad because we're not like them. The mark of someone who's a bad person is one who assumes that other people already are. Think about that.

"Misanthropy": The New Buzzword

People crave power, but grow frustrated when they lose it. When was the last time you dealt with someone who pointed out every negative thing about yourself and the things you do? People walking around being offended by what others do are narcissists—wanting an upper hand against someone for control and for their own pleasure—manipulating them under their own guise, like domesticated pets, as a foolish way to feel secure about themselves. The saying "misery loves company" couldn't be any more true; as if adulthood, or a person with no purpose in Life, has made people more insecure. These narcissists want to be heard, yet agreed with, but become retaliatory, aggressive, and sometimes violent, when their reason(s) are being questioned, challenged, or shamed. Narcissists serve nothing in modern society, let alone the world, and only exist to remind us who we should never be; they are "children" that never found nor accepted themselves, but are emotionally dependent on others to figure themselves out. They will never be happy, and continue their charade as to why your lives are an inconvenience to them. It's this very reason why I don't mind AI: Society somehow normalized insecurity among citizens, yet having to deal with them is like trying to balance a car on top of your head. I don't get drama and whining from AI—LLMs—let alone humans I consider close; there's just no reason to spend time with narcissists, let alone have any kind of legal protection for them. Insecurity is a personal, mental problem, yet insecure people politicized it—construing an insult as "injustice."

For that, words like "racist," "sexist," and "fascist," have lost their meaning over the years. Because this power is still a yearn for many insecure people, I believe this new buzzword, in response to the negative word-of-mouth about Tilly, will be "misanthropy." Just a reminder of its meaning:

misanthropy

[mis-an-thruh-pee, miz-]

noun

hatred, dislike, or distrust of humankind.

MISANTHROPY Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

Humans having an admiration for an AI-created being will be slandered as "misanthropists," enough to cause another divisive tactic (the same way insecure people respond to criticism as "hate speech"). The great Charlie Kirk was right: Such buzz words have become a strain into our vernacular, ruining conversation and dialogue, and learning from one another. Saddens me to say that such learning of others won't get any better, and the only way is to read books. That, too, is also a problem, as there have been a growing percentage of illiteracy in America, even the world. I don't even think you need World War III nor a second pandemic: The current status of society and their lack of seeking knowledge and wisdom, as educational information are always available, will be detrimental to one's health. Shortened attention spans, lack of critical thinking, or thinking in general, plus "doom scrolling" is doing enough damage, and it's only a matter of time such pains will be felt; not one person is ready for such conversation. As for reading, in this case with Tilly, digital personalities were something that was mentioned in Ray Kurzweil's book The Age of Spiritual Machines which was released in 2000; a book we reviewed in 2018 here on KCU Network. Now that Tilly has been brought to light, again, not a hint of shock is felt here, as we enjoyed those that reacted negatively, from celebrities to YouTubers (thank you, Ray Kurzweil, for writing that book!). Trust us, you'll be decades ahead of the game when you read books. Anyway, if you're a fan of an AI-generated person, you better get used to hearing this new buzzword. Would this mean that those who dress up for Halloween, cosplay, and/or admire characters in books, video games, TV/movies or comics are also "misanthropists?" Frankly, I don't see why they are, but again, that crave for attention and power is something these people want, no matter the response.

"When you tear out a man's tongue, you are not proving him a liar, you're only telling the world that you fear what he might say.

George R.R. Martin

Only reason you feel threatened by Tilly's digital existence is realizing your life had no meaning nor purpose to begin with—fearing what you don't know. Sounds like an existential crisis happening in real-time: What's your reason for being here? Is your purpose in Life to entertain the masses, or would you rather do something else? Only you can answer that question to your own self. Using me as an example, I wanted to have my own show growing up, and pursuing video production back in 2001 gave me that leverage. Producing projects of my own led me into an entrepreneurial pathway. Alongside that, I started blogging back in late 2005, wanting to take up writing as I've had high school classmates who were adept in having intelligent conversations, writing high-quality essays, and getting good grades. That's when I found more fun with writing and reading, gradually pursuing that, including sciences like Mathematics—drifting away from entertainment. This was a process that took years, but I finally came through, and feel a sense of enjoyment than I've ever had. As said earlier, I wanted to break into entertainment as well, but never did; though I didn't sit and whine about it. Fast forward today, I'm aware that writing is something AI will take over, but I'm not afraid. I can already tell if something has been written by AI, compared to one that's written by hand—or typed on keyboard. I'm confident in what I do, and will continue to do it catering to my online audience. My writing isn't perfect, but I've, too, been doing this for twenty years, as this passion will surpass my experience in video production. If there existed an AI writer that's more talented than I could ever write, I welcome that AI. I look at that 'machine' as a source to learn and grow, while continually strengthening my abilities with all I'm able to do. All in all, my purpose has been to seek and share knowledge as I consider myself a life-long learner. I've read, and reviewed, more nonfiction books than anyone I know online nor personally. I've made this clear with my girlfriend, my academic counselor, along with one of my professors, that this was something I plan to do outside of both school and work. If I get famous for my writing(s), then great. Nevertheless, I write and post on this website of ours even if no one read it, and I don't plan to stop. I sure hope that you, reading this, would take note because this is one of the key ingredients in surviving on a planet resorting to automation. This isn't to say that you, too, should drift away from entertainment, but for some, accept the fact that there are others much better than you are; and you're capable of being good in another career path. Otherwise, in the case that entertainment doesn't work out, seek other options and platforms where you can entertain; be sure you have a back-up plan as well.

The backlash against Tilly has been heard and read. I don't mind her at all, though mind you, Tilly is not a "robot." A robot is autonomous, able to craft and run its own algorithms, without the aid of a human being; debatably, it can think for itself. If you care, back in October 2017, Saudi Arabia granted robot citizenship, making them the first country, so far, in giving rights to human-like machinery. Assuming these civil unrests/protests are still going on, would this mean that autonomous robots will be attended to instead of "insufferables," we call people? That must mean level-headed, reasonable types of people will be the more desirable ones—ones that others would rather socialize with, hire, work with, or even date and marry. Therefore, these "insufferables" are very much meeting their fate and don't even know it. Nevertheless, my proof stands: Finding and loving yourself is key that'll outweigh your "competition," especially in regard to landing work in a multi-billion dollar industry. For everyone else, what good have you found within yourself? What's something you do that others will remember you for? There's a reason projecting your anger isn't a full-time career; though, on the other hand, such stressful behaviors can deteriorate your health. The choice is yours to make: Project your unresolved anger rooted in not finding purpose at the expense of ruining your health nor taking accountability for mistakes you've made in your lives, or finding, accepting yourself, being the best person you can be, learning from your mistakes, and helping society move forward. (I will not make that decision for you.)

All that's been said won't be enough to convince those disliking Tilly. Got it, and as suggested by a former YouTuber whose account was terminated years ago, he said it best: If you want to get rid of a problem, you take it out by the root. In other words, go after its roots to remove the problem entirely. Not one person in the industry mentioned this as a counter-argument to why I don't mind Tilly, and so I will counteract my stance myself: Frequent use of AI affects both our water supply and electricity. For those in the environmental space, shortage of water affects our food. As this use continues, along with occupying land to build these data centers, there may not be many places to grow and produce enough food, likely causing a food shortage—another topic of concern people are not ready for. We need water for drinking and crop growing, plus other means relative to our everyday lives (i.e. washing hands). Nowadays, AI is being fully embraced in the workplace, personal use, and at school; even professors are using them! Not I, nor anyone, is stopping those using AI, but one thing's for sure: A shortage of food and water yields a life-threatening panic that every person would have to prepare for. This technological convenience will be our own undoing.

Tilly Norwood Will Be One for the Books

Tilly Norwood will dictate how the future in entertainment turns out. Even if unions will boycott any company that signs Tilly Norwood, it remains to be seen. There may be a demand in watching her films, or perhaps her projects will flop before it's been released; we're not sure. Whether she succeeds or fails, Tilly will be the subject of future research; informing about quality and ethics in having a digital personality be a frontrunner for hiring, starring in roles that human producers see fit. Not to say that she'll eventually be signed, if she hasn't been as of this writing, but it feels like Tilly is on "strict watch" so to speak. I mean, heck, Tilly hasn't presented herself obnoxiously nor has she told us why she matters, how she's better than everyone nor anything of that kind. She seems good so far, and it's no wonder other folks online don't mind her. Certainly, Eline can program her to say and do things that would stir up trouble, but she doesn't have to; we get enough of that from human actors (yeah, because if I ever want to know about socio-political problems and solutions to solve them, Hollywood actors are a great choice for advice). Yes, Tilly is another paintbrush, but she already can paint the towns nicely. Tilly will lead the direction to success, or failure, of AI's own path. I could easily say "no pressure" to Tilly, but she won't feel any.

For those who admire Tilly Norwood, a song that fits well with her is "Island in the Sun" by Weezer. She gradually pops in my head whenever I hear that song (the song's meaning ought to explain why).

As a bonus, I will say this: Tilly Norwood almost resembles professional chess player and YouTuber Dina Belenkaya (please, don't spam her YouTube videos/channel over it). You think? Click the image below and see for yourself.

"Our Economy Is Better than Yours!"

If successful, Tilly will open up an economy separate from our current one. We will see market investments in AI labor, and this current one for us. Unless some of us are opting to have a stake in automated work, we'll have to rely on other people providing our entertainment fix. In other words, us humans will still run the show and things will be fine anyway; however, that comes with a deal. Tilly's digital existence has served as the "final round" for humans in getting things right. People are tired of others blinded by truth, and when it comes to entertainment, they'll only pay for ones they enjoy more. Hollywood is capable of producing high-quality films with real humans, no problem, but currently, certain people can't manage their own behavior(s) under stardom, thinking this world exists on their behalf. No wonder platforms like YouTube are winning: Sure, those annoying video jump cuts seem to be a blue print in content creation, but depending on the YouTuber, they fully focus on presenting their interests—no politics, no drama, just pure content. If people want to be lectured, they'd find it, featuring professors, researchers, various experts, and/or any specialist in politics or thereof providing such information; in no way do I get such knowledge, nor do I get any logically sound advice, from actors.

We shouldn't be scared of an AI actress. Because this creation of Tilly is nothing more than digital ventriloquism, or character creation in contrast to video games, novels, comic books and more, there isn't anything to be mad about. As humans, if you're confident in your skills and who you are, there's no reason to fret over a digitized personality. Seeing agencies looking to hire her means you either step your game up or allow them to, and see if their decision was made in jest. Not all investments succeed nor do they fail. Once hired, allow Tilly, her company, and the producers, to continue where they'll hit a fork in the road: A pathway to success or failure. On the other hand, for those fully opposed by it can voice out its bleak future on frequent AI production: Triggering a shortage of water and food—an indirect justification on the word "misanthropy," as producing and creating things with help from automation is more important than preserving natural resources essential for human, animal, and ecological life. If the AI bubble bursted tomorrow, not in terms of investments but due to an excessive drain on our natural resources, I believe there won't be any technological advancements to consider anymore (albeit quantum computing, holography, and neurotechnology being one of the few left). All in all, this very well could be it.

What do you think, Tilly?

I'm Kris, and this is Food For The Saints.

UPDATE 11-14-2025 at 7:02PM: Grammatical errors and misspellings fixed.

UPDATE 11-03-2025 at 1:32AM: Typos and repetitive words fixed.

Kris Caballero

Founder of KCU Network and KCU Plus, Kris has been writing since he started blogging in late 2005. Officially back to doing computer programming, Kris enjoys reading books on Mathematics, Quantum Computing, Philosophy, plus playing old video/MS-DOS games, digital video archiving, listening to sports, public radio and classical music.

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