A new musical comedy video, "Take the Lead," has been released by the AI persona Tilly Norwood, aiming to address widespread criticism surrounding artificial intelligence in entertainment. The video features Norwood singing about the online and real-world backlash to her creation, positioning AI not as a threat but as a "creative superpower" for actors. The core message advocates for embracing AI technology, asserting it as a tool that enhances, rather than replaces, human artistry.
The music video showcases Norwood in various exaggerated scenarios, including swinging from a disco ball, performing on a London rooftop, and flying on an inflatable flamingo. These visuals accompany lyrics that directly confront negative reactions, with lines such as "AI’s not the enemy, it’s the key" and "I’m just a tool, but I’ve got life." The creators emphasize that despite the digital nature of the character, the production itself involved a team of 18 individuals in diverse roles, including executive producer, director, and actors, highlighting the human element in AI creation.
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The release comes ahead of Norwood's official AI acting debut, slated for later this year. It also serves as a preview of the "Tillyverse," a cloud-based entertainment world being developed by Particle6, the company behind Norwood, where AI characters are envisioned to interact and work. This initiative aims to demonstrate the rapid evolution of AI technology and Particle6's commitment to pushing creative boundaries through experimentation and the application of cutting-edge techniques. The company maintains that "people remain at the heart of it," stressing that great AI content requires human input, including ideas, taste, direction, and judgment.
The venture into music by the AI persona follows significant industry scrutiny. Figures such as SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin have expressed concerns, and earlier reports indicated interest from entertainment companies in signing deals with the AI creation, which further fueled actor apprehension. Some discussions have drawn parallels to other AI developments in film, such as OpenAI's reported work on an animated AI feature film.
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The creation of Tilly Norwood by Particle6, a London-based company, and its AI talent studio Xicoia, marks a notable development in the emergence of AI characters within the entertainment landscape. The timing of the music video release appears strategically aligned with Hollywood's awards season, possibly intended to engage with ongoing discussions about AI's role in the industry. The project's developer, Eline Van der Velden, has previously stated that Norwood was not intended to replace human actors.