AI Performer Sparks Hollywood Controversy

0:00It's March 26. I'm Corey with The Story, and this is Adelaide News today, your AI-powered local news. Aligned Vandervelden sparked major controversy in Hollywood last year with her AI creation, Tilly Norwood. This digital performer debuted in a comedy sketch and quickly gained 141,000 Instagram followers. Vandervelden revealed that talent agents showed interest in signing Tilly, which set off alarms in the acting world. She runs production company Particle 6 in its AI branch, Sequoia, using publicly available tools to build Tilly. The goal was to create an RPs highlighting rapid advances in AI and the fears around it in entertainment. Vandervelden aimed to provoke discussion and make the industry pay attention to the technology's potential. Actors and unions reacted with strong outrage, condemning any idea of AI replacing human performers. Vandervelden expected pushback, but was stunned by the intense hate, including death threats that continue at a lower level. She sees it as understandable, given the changes AI brings to jobs and creativity.

1:05Now, she's pushing forward with new projects like a music video featuring AI-written lyrics and a planned micro drama series starring Tilly. Vandervelden controls the avatar with motion capture and has turned down offers for Tilly in real films to avoid replacing actors. She views AI avatars as a boon for performers dodging fame, letting them play roles without public exposure. This approach lets creators like Vandervelden experiment freely, building on shared tools to open positive doors in art and storytelling.