SAG-AFTRA Hits Back on ‘AI Actress’, But Galactus’ Response Is Better

By now you’ve seen images of the doe-eyed “synthetic performer” named “Tilly Norwood.” The AI fabrication made headlines over the weekend when it was revealed (via Deadline) that some talent agents were actually interested in representing “Tilly.” Hollywood met this chilling threat with disgust and fury, though none said it better or more succinctly than geek god Ralph Ineson:

Fuck off https://t.co/nMV2B6V0co

— Ralph Ineson (@ralphineson) September 27, 2025

Speaking to Variety, Emily Blunt also weighed in after being shown a photo of Tilly Norwood. “That is really, really scary,” she said. “Come on, agencies, don’t do that. Please stop. Please stop taking away our human connection.”

Actors union SAG-AFTRA—which made AI use a central point in its big 2023 strike—released a statement today that conveyed its displeasure in no uncertain terms:

“SAG-AFTRA believes creativity is, and should remain, human-centered. The union is opposed to the replacement of human performers by synthetics.

“To be clear, ‘Tilly Norwood’ is not an actor, it’s a character generated by a computer program that was trained on the work of countless professional performers—without permission or compensation. It has no life experience to draw from, no emotion and, from what we’ve seen, audiences aren’t interested in watching computer-generated content untethered from the human experience.

It doesn’t solve any ‘problem’—it creates the problem of using stolen performances to put actors out of work, jeopardizing performer livelihoods and devaluing human artistry.

Additionally, signatory producers should be aware that they may not use synthetic performers without complying with our contractual obligations, which generally require notice and bargaining whenever a synthetic performer is going to be used.”

Other Hollywood types who’ve spoken out include EGOT winner Whoopi Goldberg (who discussed the issue on a recent episode of The View, as Entertainment Weekly reports), as well as Melissa Barrera, Toni Collette, and others (via Variety) who—like Ineson—shared their outrage on social media.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.