Published : 14 Sep 2026, 11:18 PM
Updated : 16 Sep 2026, 11:50 AM
An AI actress called Tilly Norwood has sparked a heated exchange on Good Morning Britain, with weather presenter Laura Tobin saying she felt "rageful" watching the segment.
Norwood, the creation of actress and producer Eline Van der Velden -- appeared live on the ITV breakfast show Monday, fielding questions from hosts Ed Balls and Susanna Reid about her origins, her ethics, and whether she could one day take a human's job.
Reid pressed Van der Velden on the risk of AI wiping out an entire generation of actors, crew members, hair and make-up artists, and lighting professionals.
Van der Velden said she saw her creation as a tool for telling stories that would never otherwise get funding, but insisted AI should not displace the traditional industry.
Norwood herself was unfazed, comparing herself to a new kind of paintbrush rather than a replacement for painters, and brushing off concerns about whether she could be used for pornographic content by citing her "strict guardrails".
Van der Velden, however, acknowledged that it was ultimately humans -- not the AI -- who posed the real risk.
Reid eventually confronted Norwood for giving rehearsed, repetitive answers and described the conversation as "one of the most surreal we've ever done."
Van der Velden said she had built values and morals into Norwood but could not fully guarantee what the AI would say -- comparing the process to raising a child and releasing them into the world at 18.
She called for urgent global regulation, warning that without international cooperation, countries would race ahead independently and undermine any ethical framework.
Norwood was originally unveiled last year to widespread condemnation.
SAG-AFTRA denounced her as devaluing human artistry; Emily Blunt called the development "terrifying" while Natasha Lyonne labelled it "deeply misguided and totally disturbed".
Van der Velden also received death threats.
Her creator has maintained that Norwood is a work of art, not a replacement for human performance.
