Debut of Tilly Norwood’s music video shows limits of artificial intelligence in performing arts
Just in time for awards season, Hollywood received a reminder of what makes human actors irreplaceable.
The AI “actress” Tilly Norwood, created by Dutch performer and producer Eline van der Velden, released a debut single and music video titled ‘Take the Lead’, sparking conversation about the limits of AI in entertainment.
The video, which features Tilly singing atop a London rooftop, swinging from a disco ball, and even flying on a blow-up flamingo, is visually striking but imperfect in execution. Despite Van der Velden’s efforts to demonstrate AI’s creative potential, critics and performers alike see it as proof that technology cannot replicate human nuance.
A note on the video clarifies that “18 real humans” contributed to the production, from costume designers to performance capture actors, underscoring the human effort behind the AI persona.
Last year, Van der Velden introduced Tilly as the “world’s first AI actress,” drawing immediate attention from talent agencies and provoking concerns across Hollywood.
SAG-AFTRA protested the use of AI-generated performances, warning that actors’ work could be misappropriated and exploited. Even Emily Blunt weighed in, pleading with the industry to preserve human connection on screen.
In ‘Take the Lead’, Tilly asserts that she is “not a puppet, I’m the star” and encourages actors to embrace AI as a creative tool.
Yet the video itself inadvertently highlights the limits of the technology: Tilly can appear in countless scenarios, yet she cannot live, age, make mistakes, or interact organically with the world in the way a human performer can. Her “life” is constrained to the screen, no matter how sophisticated the animation or performance capture may be.
Van der Velden emphasises that Tilly is meant to explore the creative boundaries of AI rather than replace actors.