AI Actress Doppelganger Drama

AI Actress Creates Controversy

Hollywood became outraged when news outlets reported that Tilly Norwood, an actress generated by A.I., was “in talks” to sign with a talent agent. However, Stella Hennen was simply confused. The 20-year-old from Nashville told Slate that her friend had sent her a video. At first, she thought it was a prank, and not just because the idea of an “A.I. actress” is strange enough. The reason was that Tilly Norwood, a supposedly fictional character, looks just like Hennen.

Viral TikTok

Hennen posted a TikTok video of herself next to the avatar, with the caption “GUYS WHY IS THIS AI ACTRESS TILLY NORWOOD LOWKEY MY DOPPELGANGER.” It quickly went viral. Many commenters compared it to the “Joan Is Awful” episode of Black Mirror, which has a similar concept. Xicoia, a talent studio created by A.I. production studio Particle 6, has denied that Hennen’s image was used “in any way” to create Tilly Norwood. The company told Slate that Tilly was developed entirely from scratch using original creative design, and that they do not and will not use any person or performer’s likeness without explicit consent and fair compensation.

Singer's Concerns

Still, Hennen, an indie singer-songwriter who hopes to be in the spotlight, is disturbed. She said that she was doing double-takes at every picture she saw because it felt like she was looking at things she forgot she had done. She spoke with Slate on the phone shortly after sharing her story on TikTok to discuss what this uncanny resemblance might mean for her future.
"Wow." What were the reactions to your video?

Hennen said that everyone is telling her that she should sue. She also admits that she doesn’t know anything about A.I. She did text her management and lawyers to see what they thought, but she doesn’t know what will happen. She posted it lightheartedly at first, joking about the resemblance. However, the comments started to freak her out, and she began to worry about what they would do with this A.I. character that looks so much like her.

Hennen wondered if she had posted a photo that they used. She had read a comment that suggested one of her exes might have put her face into a database, and she wondered if that was how it works. She was worried and wondered if she had signed anything, but she is almost sure that she did not. It might be a coincidence, or something else might have happened, but she knows nothing about that world and is scared of it. She is especially concerned because Tilly has agents who want to work with her, and there is a chance that people will see the A.I. actress in a film.

Knowing that the two look so similar, Hennen said that it is super disturbing and scary because she doesn’t know what could result from it. She thinks that it is an issue that people will have to start being concerned about because it is not just her problem. She feels like it will affect all artists and creatives and undermines the creative process. She would rather be the one acting and wants to be in a rom-com.

Hennen plans to take things day by day and listen to her lawyer and managers. She wants to spread the word about this issue because she does not think A.I. belongs in the creative industry. She believes that the cons outweigh any possible pros.