SAG-AFTRA has issued a statement in response to the introduction of “Tilly Norwood,” an artificial intelligence-generated character that is reportedly seeking representation as an actor.
The union emphasized its stance on the matter, stating: “SAG-AFTRA believes creativity is, and should remain, human-centered. The union is opposed to the replacement of human performers by synthetics.
“To be clear, ‘Tilly Norwood’ is not an actor, it’s a character generated by a computer program that was trained on the work of countless professional performers — without permission or compensation. It has no life experience to draw from, no emotion and, from what we’ve seen, audiences aren’t interested in watching computer-generated content untethered from the human experience. It doesn’t solve any ‘problem’ — it creates the problem of using stolen performances to put actors out of work, jeopardizing performer livelihoods and devaluing human artistry.
“Additionally, signatory producers should be aware that they may not use synthetic performers without complying with our contractual obligations, which require notice and bargaining whenever a synthetic performer is going to be used.”
SAG-AFTRA represents about 160,000 professionals in various entertainment and media roles across the United States. The organization advocates for strong protections for its members and maintains offices in Los Angeles and New York as well as local offices nationwide.
