Were Tilly Norwood’s 15 minutes over before they began?
Ever since the AI “actress” was unveiled last fall, she has become the poster child for nearly every threat AI poses to Hollywood. The idea of an AI performer sparked backlash from real actors including **Emily Blunt **and Sophie Turner, while Tilly’s creator, Elaine Van der Velden, claimed talent agencies had expressed interest in representing the synthetic newcomer — she also received death threats.
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Every new announcement involving Norwood is met with breathless coverage.
Whether it’s the launch of a “Tillyverse,” her first music video, or yesterday’s announcement that Particle 6, the AI studio behind Tilly, is developing a feature-length film.
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But a look at Tilly’s social media presence certainly doesn’t suggest Hollywood should be so apocalyptic about being replaced by AI actors. Tilly’s YouTube channel has just over 7,000 subscribers — placing her well outside the platform’s biggest creators (and outside the top 300) — and her music video has attracted only 373,000 views. She has 154,000 followers on Instagram and another 54,000 on TikTok.
We’re not exactly talking about Kim Kardashian.
Norwood also arrives at a moment when some of Hollywood’s biggest names, including Martin Scorsese, James Cameron, Gareth Edwards and** Steven Soderbergh**, are experimenting with AI in one form or another — or at least openly talking about it.
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When asked about its upcoming feature, “Misaligned,” Particle 6 said it was working with A-list Hollywood talent, though it declined to identify any as they aren’t ready to go public over fears of sparking backlash.
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To be fair, Particle 6 doesn’t seem particularly concerned about Tilly’s social media numbers. Asked how the company measures success, it said the project is about “continuously promoting where AI is at, showing what is possible and helping people across the industry to upskill and retool.”
By that measure, they can probably claim victory.