AI actress Tilly Norwood has reportedly caught the attention of several talent agents and actors alike. According to Variety, on Saturday, Eline Van der Velden, who is the founder of AI outfit Particle 6 Productions, announced the launch of the “world’s first” artificial intelligence talent studio, Xicoia, at the Zurich Summit of the Zurich Film Festival. The Dutch comedian, writer, actress and producer Eline Van der Velden introduced Tilly Norwood, the first creation from her recently launched AI talent studio Xicoia. According to Variety, the 39-year-old technologist explained on Saturday: “When we first launched Tilly, people were like, ‘What’s that?’, and now we’re going to be announcing which agency is going to be representing her in the next few months.” While Eline Van der Velden expressed that AI actress Tilly Norwood has been reached out to by a number of talent agents who are interested in signing it, the news reportedly sparked an immediate wave of disagreement from movie fans and celebrities. On Sunday, September 29, 2025, the creators of the AI actress defended their project after it reportedly drew backlash from Hollywood stars. Responding to the dismissal of Tilly Norwood, Eline Van der Velden released a statement via an Instagram post, which was also shared to Norwood’s social media account. “To those who have expressed anger over the creation of my AI character, Tilly Norwood, she is not a replacement for a human being, but a creative work – a piece of art,” wrote Eline. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostShielding the idea of the computer-generated actress representation, she continued:“I see AI not as a replacement for people, but as a new tool, a new paintbrush. Just as animation, puppetry, or CGI opened fresh possibilities without taking away from live acting, AI offers another way to imagine and build stories.”Notably, if Tilly Norwood is reportedly granted a signing pass from talent agencies, according to Deadline, the creation will reportedly be one of the first Artificial Intelligence-generated actresses to get representation with a talent agency. This traditionally works with real-life stars.How did Hollywood respond to the possible signing of AI actress Tilly Norwood?Tilly Norwood (Image via Instagram/@tillynorwood)According to The Hollywood Reporter, a host of actors responded to the news that talent agencies were allegedly circling Norwood. Over the weekend, after Eline Van der Velden mentioned that she wants Tilly to be the “next” Scarlett Johansson or Natalie Portman, Melissa Barrera shared her thoughts. The actress of In the Heights and the Scream film franchise wrote:“Hope all actors repped by the agent that does this, drop their a$$. How gross, read the room.”Meanwhile, The White Lotus star Lukas Gage reportedly said:“She was a nightmare to work with!!!!”According to The Hollywood Reporter, American actress Mara Wilson said on Instagram: “Shame on these people. They have stolen the faces of hundreds of young women to make this AI ‘actress.’ They’re not creators. They’re identity thieves.”Notably, on Saturday at the Zurich Film Festival, Eline Van der Velden discussed changing people’s “viewpoint.” The technologist celebrated the possibilities of using AI. She noted that people are realising how they don’t need to be “boxed in by a budget.”