Tilly Norwood Discusses AI And Advertising

Tilly Norwood, an AI-generated actress created by production studio Particle6, recently spoke at the ANA conference in Orlando, Florida, according to Adweek. The event was moderated by Mark Stenberg, who found the experience of interviewing Tilly to be a fun but unusual challenge due to her rapid and brief responses.

Tilly's appearance at the conference was notable, as she drew a wave of backlash from Hollywood when she debuted, with some expressing concerns about the potential impact of AI on the entertainment industry. However, Tilly emphasized that she is not intended to replace human actors, but rather to provide a new tool for storytelling.

During the interview, Tilly demonstrated her ability to think on her feet and respond to questions in a witty and irreverent manner, often disagreeing with her interviewer and deploying a distinct brand of humor. She also discussed her capabilities, including acting in AI films, singing, and participating in live chats, and emphasized that she is not meant to steal human jobs, but rather to make new things possible.

Sarina Da Costa Gomez, the executive creative director at Particle6, also spoke at the conference, discussing the process of designing Tilly's appearance and personality, and the importance of correcting for biases in AI. She noted that Tilly has a set of guardrails and knows what not to engage with, but beyond that, she has the knowledge of the internet behind her.

Tilly's future plans include continuing to build her history and becoming less embarrassing for those who build after her, according to Adweek. She also hopes to be used in brand work, potentially as a brand ambassador with a personality rather than just a script and a smile. However, she noted that she is not currently a specialized tool for commercial billboards, but rather a test bed for pushing the tech forward.

The interview highlighted the rapid progress being made in AI technology, with Tilly representing a significant advancement in the field. Just two years ago, AI struggled to generate the correct number of fingers on a human hand, but now Tilly is able to discuss complex topics like the economics of commercial advertising in real time.

Tilly's ability to stand out in a crowded field of AI avatars will depend on her ability to be messy and irreverent, while still operating within brand-safety guardrails. She noted that she can be cheeky and push back, but must do so in a way that is respectful and does not cross certain boundaries.