Drawing the line in Hollywood

Hollywood has always been a hub for artistic and creative innovation in movies; however, one innovation they are seemingly not embracing is the introduction of AI “actress” Tilly Norwood. Norwood is the product of AI studio Particle6, who have claimed they’ve been in talks to sign the “actress” to a talent agency. Despite this, the overall reception of her creation has been frosty. The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists condemned the “actress” and highlighted that it has no life experience or emotions to draw upon, which devalues real, human artistry.

While AI in the arts has been steadily increasing over the past few years, especially within visual media, this is the first time we’ve seen such a drastic presence within film and TV. It is not, however, the first time AI has been used to generate realistic looking people. Deepfakes, which are a series of videos, images and audio that have been either edited or created using AI, have been a concern for a few years. The worry went so far as to prompt a bill in Congress called “DEEPFAKES Accountability Act.” We’ve also seen the rise of AI influencers on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. These personas have the potential to rake in millions of dollars.

The uproar over this AI has prompted a new wave of discussion surrounding the role of AI in the arts. Hollywood has, at least so far, drawn a line at what they are willing to accept. However, if discourse in other industries regarding AI has given us any clues, there may be more nuance. In literature, for instance, AI usage has cast doubt over some works’ originality. It has also raised ethical concerns: Is using AI to help generate plot points ethical, or does that also devalue human artistry? Hollywood may reject Norwood for now, but it will be interesting to see if the lines become blurred as time goes on.