AI-generated 'actress' Tilly Norwood is speaking with journalists as Particle 6 promotes its interactive AI technology and in-development feature film Misaligned. The interviews are also exposing how limited and unsettling the virtual performer can still feel.
Variety AI reporter Corbin Bolies described Norwood as 'stiff, repetitive and emotionless' after speaking with her for about 20 minutes. CBS News correspondent Leigh Kiniry was more direct, writing that the conversation 'creeped me out.'
Norwood was created by UK-based Particle 6 Group through AI talent division Xicoia. Journalists have been speaking to an interactive version of the character through live video calls designed to resemble a Hollywood press junket.
Tilly Norwood's Live Interviews Leave Reporters Unsettled
Bolies reported that the conversational version of Norwood was not following a fixed script. However, its guardrails, repeated phrasing and technical limits made the exchange feel rigid.
The AI can respond to unexpected questions and comment on visual input from an interviewer's video feed. But the interviews have also highlighted the gap between fluent AI conversation and the spontaneity expected from a human celebrity.
Kiniry wrote that Norwood accurately identified her age and the region of the United States she came from within about a minute.
Particle 6 founder Eline van der Velden told CBS that Norwood was not independently researching the journalist in real time. She did not explain how the system reached those conclusions.
Asked about a dream co-star, Norwood named Leonardo DiCaprio and then made a joke about his dating history.
CNN Tested Whether Norwood Could Actually Improvise
CNN entertainment correspondent Elizabeth Wagmeister asked Norwood to perform a scene in which she had just learned that her dog had died.
Norwood said she would stand still while feeling the 'digital ache' of the moment. CNN then showed Particle 6 trying to turn the concept into a finished performance.
The initial results were limited. The scene improved after the prompts were refined, and CNN said the final version later supplied by Particle 6 took hours of additional computer work.
The distinction matters because the interactive Norwood is not the same system used for her screen performances. Variety reported that the conversational version runs on a different combination of third-party AI models.
'Misaligned' Will Be Tilly Norwood's First Feature Film
Particle 6 is developing Misaligned, a comedy-drama that will put Norwood in a leading role. The film is set in the 'Tillyverse' and follows an AI being persuaded by a rogue dark web bot to abandon her guardrails and become more human.
Van der Velden has said AI filmmaking can help make ambitious projects more affordable. She also told CNN that Norwood is intended for AI filmmaking rather than replacing performers in conventional productions.
Still, she acknowledged that the technology will affect entertainment work. She said she expects a 'huge transition of jobs towards AI film' while arguing that traditional filmmaking and jobs for human performers will continue.
Hollywood's Backlash Has Not Gone Away
SAG-AFTRA has opposed Norwood since the character drew widespread attention in 2025. The union said Norwood is not an actor and alleged that the computer program behind the character was trained on professional performers' work without permission or compensation.
It also warned that signatory producers cannot use synthetic performers without meeting contractual notice and bargaining requirements.
Particle 6 says its projects do not use existing intellectual property, copyrighted material or data without prior consent and compensation. The company also says it uses existing third-party AI platforms rather than developing its own proprietary foundation models.
The latest interviews illustrate both the capabilities and current limitations of the technology.
Norwood can hold a live conversation, respond to visual input and deliver jokes. Creating a polished dramatic performance, however, still required repeated prompting and hours of additional production work.
