Eline van der Velden says she developed her ‘digital twin’ to provoke discussion but backlash from some has been worse than expected
The creator of the AI actor Tilly Norwood has said she received death threats after a global backlash against the project, and said she developed it to “provoke thoughts and discussion” about the impact of AI in the entertainment world.
Eline van der Velden caused anger and panic in Hollywood and beyond last year after she said talent agents had been interested in signing her creation. Prominent actors and acting unions immediately condemned the idea.
In an interview with the Guardian, Van der Velden said she had been prepared for a backlash against the provocative idea of AI performers. However, she said she was “quite shocked by the vitriol” that followed.
“The death threats and the hate … my goodness, loads,” she said. “That’s still going, but much less now. I totally understand the reaction. I made her to represent the fear – and to represent this change in AI as an art piece, in a way. I was just like, this is the zeitgeist.”
