Simu Liu speaks out against AI-generated ‘actress’
By Ryan General
Chinese Canadian star Simu Liu has spoken out against Tilly Norwood, an AI-generated “actress” signed by a London talent agency that also represents real performers. British company Xicoia introduced Norwood in September with a digital portfolio that included headshots, casting reels and a fictional biography portraying her as an emerging film star.
- Hollywood actors react: In an Instagram Story, the Shang-Chi actor took a jab at the artificial creation, noting, “Movies are great, but you know, what would be better is if the characters in them weren’t played by actual humans, but by AI replicas approximating human emotion.” Other actors, including Emily Blunt and Natasha Lyonne, described the project as “scary” and urged performers to stop working with agencies that represent synthetic clients.
- Unionists raise alarm: The criticisms came as the actors’ union SAG-AFTRA warned that the move could set a dangerous precedent for studios seeking to replace human talent. Norwood’s unveiling reignited issues raised during the 2023 Hollywood strikes, when actors demanded protection against digital likeness replication. Union officials have warned that AI-generated characters could eventually be used to mimic living performers without consent, complicating existing copyright and contract laws.
- Conversations continue: The impact of generative AI technology on film remains a sensitive issue among actors. Jet Li revealed in a 2018 interview that he turned down a role in “The Matrix Reloaded” after learning his martial arts could be digitally recorded and reused, explaining, “I was thinking: I’ve been training my entire life. And we martial artists could only grow older. Yet they could own [my moves] as an intellectual property forever. So I said I couldn’t do that.” Meanwhile, Jackie Chan has embraced AI in his 2024 film “A Legend,” which used digital effects to de-age him for flashback scenes.
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