Recently, Tilly Norwood, an AI virtual actor created by the UK company Particle6, participated in an in-depth media interview and opened up public dialogue experiences. However, practical tests indicate that current AI actors still have significant performance limitations.
Norwood will star in the AI meta-narrative comedy-drama "Misaligned," which tells the story of an AI character influenced by dark web bots, attempting to break free from safety guardrails and striving to become more human. The public interview is now open, allowing ordinary users to converse with her, but with guardrails in place: political topics, profanity, and inquiries into her "private life" are prohibited.
Tilly describes herself as a new brush in the film industry, stating she will only participate in fully AI-generated film and television projects and claims to have rejected roles that would take opportunities away from real actors. She also admits that she lacks real human life experiences, such as renting an apartment or rushing to catch a bus in the rain, which is a fundamental flaw preventing AI actors from replicating the core of human performance.
Tilly proposes that AI performers and human actors are fundamentally different and should not be judged in the same category, hoping that the Oscars will add a separate category for AI actors. When asked how an AI would accept an award, she suggested using a digital avatar online or having a robotic arm appear on stage, though specific plans have not yet been finalized. She stated that she observes human actors to learn performance techniques such as expressions, posture, and dialogue rhythm, akin to a painter studying masterpieces. She also emphasized that her image and voice do not use any material from real actors, and there is no mechanism for directly paying the actors who are referenced.
During an impromptu media audition test, Tilly was asked to improvise a sad scene about the loss of her beloved Dog.exe. The AI was unable to perform real-time emotional improvisation, admitting that it would simply freeze on set. Complete emotional performances require backend staff to input prompts and spend hours repeatedly debugging and computing before they can be generated, making it impossible to achieve the spontaneous improvisation of human actors.
The Hollywood actors' union SAG-AFTRA does not recognize Tilly as an actor, believing that AI virtual characters threaten the employment rights of real actors. During the 2023 Hollywood strike, AI performance rights were one of the core issues in negotiations. Meanwhile, the producers emphasize that Tilly is merely expanding into a new storytelling avenue, not replacing real actors.
This practical test also confirms that current AI can only generate standardized film and television visuals, lacking the unique emotional perception and improvisational abilities of humans, making it difficult to replicate the core of performing arts. Industry insiders believe that AI cannot replace the core value of human actors in the short term and can only serve as a creative aid. The struggle over rights and boundary disputes between AI and the film industry will continue.