Tilly–The AI Actress

Drawing by Ava Min

Opinion Piece by Tanya Arora

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Nestled in blankets, nearly every eight year old partakes in a ruthless adventure to prove their instincts in an established franchise: “Is it Cake?” For years, discerning fake from real always felt so simple, childlike, and, quite frankly, delicious, until it didn’t. 

This year, the first AI actress Tilly Norwood surfaced, rekindling doubts about the role of artificial intelligence in confusing reality and distorting talent. From videos of bunnies jumping on trampolines to 1 to the Road (an experimental novel composed by AI), Norwood’s platform doesn’t pivot the role of AI, but, rather, establishes the already subtle, yet omniscient, force that is AI. 

Flawless, Norwood “doomed” several actors, intimidating them with her unreal features and ability. Yet, surprisingly, her “unreal” nature that made her a promising star ironically detracted from her talent. Many avid film consumers intimately relate to the human story, feeling, and perception, so many connect with real actors, writers, and filmmakers, even if they struggle to initially distinguish real from fake. Norwood and such (possibly mention earlier what AI models are like Norwood) mimic the human voice but fail to appeal to humans, like parents who may, unfortunately, overuse gen-z slang to attempt to bond with their teenager. 

As CNA considers, Norwood “was trained on the work of countless professional performers,” but doesn’t display a unique form or voice, which interestingly makes her seem “off.” While the fear of artificial talent dominating the real kind can overwhelm, Norwood’s existence doesn’t warrant panic, but, instead, serves as a reminder to continue honing the collective human voice. 

Yet, while seemingly distant, this reality significantly determines the lives of the SAS community. Students, exhausted from schoolwork and extracurriculars, often sacrifice their voice by turning to AI at an assignment, seeing it as the easy way out. That said, by doing so, students subject themselves to a future where AI might not only outperform them in skill, but also easily emulate their voice.