When Emily Blunt first glimpsed images of Tilly Norwood—the AI-generated actress making waves in Hollywood—her reaction was immediate and visceral: “That’s an AI? Good Lord, we’re screwed.”
During a recent episode of the Variety Awards Circuit Podcast, she described the development as “really scary” and urged talent agencies to “please stop taking away our human connection.” Norwood, conceived by Eline Van der Velden’s AI studio, Xicoia, emerged publicly in 2025 and is now being eyed by agencies as a possible digital star.
Blunt’s critique taps into deeper unease across Hollywood—that synthetic performers could undercut not just jobs, but the emotional authenticity at the heart of acting. Proponents defend Norwood as an artistic experiment, likening her to CGI or animation tools rather than living actors.
But for stars like Blunt, her existence challenges core values: the unpredictable human spark, the personal vulnerability, the unscripted nuance. The controversy may mark the start of a new chapter in entertainment, where artifice and artistry collide. For now, the question stands: can a pixelated performance ever compete with flesh-and-blood truth?
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