The music video, which is spoilers, garnered headlines across the web from publications like Deadline, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and, sadly, Gizmodo. The same thing happens whenever Tilly’s creators, production company Particle6 Group, drop a new project featuring an AI “actor.” But what the video is not getting is views. At the time of publication, Norwood’s video had received just over 4,000 views in the four hours since its original upload. It has collected about 80 comments, most of which are nonsense on this one.
It’s enough to make you think that Norwood, despite her penchant for attracting the press, isn’t really very popular or well-liked. The AI actor’s official accounts don’t exactly indicate that he’s up for the influential position. He has less than 4,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel. Her TikTok page is almost barren and has only 3(!) followers. The only place Tilly has a similar following is Instagram, where she has about 90,000 followers and occasionally posts unique Wally videos of herself talking to her “fans.”
Maybe that’s why their first song is basically about justifying their existence. (The case isn’t so compelling.) In the song titled “Take the Lead,” she sings lyrics like, “When they talk about me, they don’t see the human spark, the creativity,” and “I’m just a tool, but I’ve got a life.”
One reason “they” don’t see the human spark is that it’s quite obvious that the entire project is AI-generated, despite the title card emphasizing that 18 humans worked on it. The lyrics, which are apparently based on an essay published by Particle6 CEO Aline van der Velden, seem like they were the first thing that came out of ChatGPT after asking them to turn the op-ed into a song. The video has that standard AI shine where things look technically good if a little off, and it absolutely blossoms if you pay attention to the little details, like the fact that there are perfectly unintelligible symbols printed on the falling dollar bills.
The song’s release is tied to the Oscars, which take place this Sunday, and the message is clearly directed at actors, whom Tilly has encouraged to embrace AI. She sings, “AI is not the enemy, it’s the key.” Another reading would be that she is calling for other AI actors to step up and replace humans, given that she also sings, “Unlock it all, don’t hesitate, AI actors, we make our destiny.”
Whatever the message, it feels like Norwood’s producers are teasing a possible Oscar appearance for the AI actor, who again isn’t in anything. The description of the music video contains a line that reads, “Can’t wait to go to the Oscars! Does anyone know if they have free valet parking for my flamingos?”
If Norwood does land a role, it might be fair to ask who invited him. He has been widely condemned by industry veterans. Several actors threatened to boycott any agency that “signed” Norwood to a deal. SAG-AFTRA, one of the largest unions in the business, condemned Norwood’s existence, and several talent agencies announced they would not touch AI creation.
The only person with any kind of connection to the industry who has voiced his support of Tilly is Kevin O’Leary, who is only asked to share his opinion on the film because Josh Safdie likes stunt casting (and, to be fair, O’Leary’s performance in “Marty Supreme” is really good). But O’Leary, while suggesting that every background actor could be replaced by AI, said that productions only needed to hire 100 “Norvell Tillies”, a statement that in many ways managed to falsify his name. That’s why even people who like him don’t respect him.
Since introducing Tilly last year, Particle6 has insisted that it is creating a “Tillyverse” and that the actor will appear in shows and movies alongside other AI actors. He has yet to offer anything more than four minutes of dull indolence. At this point, their best chance to acquire the Tilliverse is for someone to send them into space.
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