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By Robert Enderle for TGDaily October 2, 2025
The entertainment world has been set ablaze by the “Tilly Norwood” controversy and for good reason. The revelation that a beloved character in a well received show was not a real person but a fully AI-generated “synthetic actor” has become a flashpoint for a debate raging in Hollywood (AI Commissioner example). For many actors, it represents an existential threat that their craft is on the verge of being rendered obsolete by code. While their fear is understandable, history shows us that trying to ban a transformative technology is a fool’s errand.
The furor over Tilly Norwood is not a new story; it’s the latest chapter in a long book of industries trying to fight the future. The acting community’s calls to restrict or ban synthetic performers echo the same desperate cries heard from other sectors on the brink of disruption. This moment is a painful but necessary catalyst that should force actors not to fight the technology, but to redefine their role in it.
Want Enderle's full article, complete with History's Unforgiven Lesson, The AI Revolution and The New Role for Actors? Continue reading on TG Daily for The Tilly Norwood Effect: Why AI Actors Are an Opportunity, Not an Apocalypse.
About the Author:
Rob Enderle has been an ECT News Network columnist since 2003. His areas of interest include AI, autonomous driving, drones, personal technology, emerging technology, regulation, litigation, M&E, and technology in politics. He has an MBA in human resources, marketing and computer science. He is also a certified management accountant. Enderle currently is president and principal analyst of the Enderle Group, a consultancy that serves the technology industry. He formerly served as a senior research fellow at Giga Information Group and Forrester. Reach out to Rob via email.
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