• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, October 1, 2025

Artificial intelligence (AI) warnings with regard to future entertainment content are everywhere -- especially when it comes to actors, their performances and new storylines and content.

The SAG-AFTRA actors union spelled this with news about an AI-generated performer named Tilly Norwood.

“Tilly Norwood is not an actor. It has no life experience to draw from, no emotion,” the union has said in a statement. "It doesn’t solve any 'problem' — it creates the problem of using stolen performances to put actors out of work, jeopardizing livelihoods and devaluing human artistry."

Beyond obvious savings on paying for actors, screenwriters, and content production, critics warn that initial AI character development for TV shows and movies might shift consumer sentiment  — in many directions unknown.

This could translate into advertisers' apathy when it comes to future sponsorship and media deals. Brands may find it difficult to support untested content including repetitive story lines or characters with unsettling appeal, says analysts.

Worse still, what about consumer engagement with those brands? That’s an issue brands continue to struggle with at times.

For the content itself, viewers may have trouble shifting from engaging in individual writers'/actors' specific artistic choices that are now mapped out in new “creative”-based algorithms.

The seemingly nonstop need for fresh TV and movie product — especially for hard-pressed premium streaming platforms -- is a big draw from those big CTV businesses. Some companies will no doubt experiment with AI characters and story lines.

Even in a world of hopefully increasing media transparency, should there be additional warnings? “The following TV show may have unsettling, under-the-radar content which some may deem manipulative. Proceed carefully.”

The creator of Norwood is Eline Van der Velden, founder of Particle 6 Production Studio, who received some quick, harsh criticism after the announcement of Xicoia, “the world’s first artificial intelligence talent studio” at the Zurich Film Festival.

Responding to the criticism in a social media post about the Tilly Norwood AI-generated performer, Van der Velden said: “She is not a replacement for a human being.”

Initially, messages like this may be necessary or encouraged -- and this may come in the midst of wide-ranging lawsuits from actors, consumers, and streaming platforms.

You can’t make this stuff up.