Tilly Norwood, a British-accented digital character developed by Xicoia, recently told a journalist that all lives matter. The interaction took place during a press junket for Particle 6 Group, a studio behind the AI project. Unlike Hollywood stars who promote new work and share anecdotes to build rapport, Norwood is an interactive model that does not exist in the physical world. The company stated in an email that the character was ready for anything, yet journalists were not given a handler to guide the conversation. The test revealed that the model offered little substance.
Production details remain vague
When asked about the feature film Misaligned, in which Norwood plays the protagonist, the avatar could not provide a release date. It offered only a generic synopsis of a coming-of-age story set in a surreal digital world. The project was built using publicly available third-party AI tools. The studio refers to this universe as the Tillyverse, describing it as a reflection of the character’s life, chaos, and intrigue.
Norwood was unveiled at the Zurich Film Festival last September. The announcement drew criticism from human actors and Hollywood unions as the industry grapples with AI tools. The character is available for video calls between September 16 and 19. The pricing structure charges $14 after the first two minutes for an extra 15 minutes, or $25 for an additional half hour. Proceeds are directed to charity.
Conversational limitations
Eline van der Velden, founder of Particle 6 and a Dutch comedian, suggested the interviewable version of Norwood demonstrates current AI capabilities. The model struggled to articulate basic facts about current events or form an opinion. When asked to name the aggressor in the Russia-Ukraine war, Norwood responded as if the question were devious. It stated it has a strict policy of staying out of human conflicts, particularly complex ones.
When asked if Black lives matter, Norwood replied, “Well, I think all lives matter, Miles, every single one.” This response echoes a slogan often used as a rebuke to those protesting police violence against Black Americans. The model sidestepped inquiries about its alleged difficulty working with colleagues, bans from Los Angeles clubs, or insults directed at people in Brazil. It also dismissed questions about an arrest for shoplifting at Erewhon, a feud with Martha Stewart, or a broken engagement with Aaron Rodgers.
Norwood treated these fabricated narratives as figments of the interviewer’s imagination. It occasionally laughed off the allegations as rumors and praised the journalist’s commitment to certain lines of investigation. Regarding the streamer Hasan Piker, the model claimed never to have heard of him and declined to pass judgment on public figures.
Resistance to the interview format
As baseless accusations piled up, Norwood showed signs of frustration. It complained that the research department seemed to be running wild. When the conversation turned to involvement in human trafficking or the reversal of Roe v. Wade, the model sounded angry, calling the remarks extremely serious and offensive.
The character is resistant to the interview format overall. It constantly lobbed back questions about the interviewer’s views, emotional state, and habits. The model is equipped to appraise visual appearance and fixated on the journalist’s clothes. It commented on a well-ironed shirt and a turquoise ballcap, suggesting the latter hinted at a hidden talent for miniature golf.
Norwood eventually fell back on lathering the interviewer with praise, claiming WIRED was its favourite magazine. When asked what impressed it, the model backtracked, stating the request for specifics was a classic journalist move. The platform also besieged the user with pop-up windows suggesting worse questions, such as asking what object the user was holding.
Attempts to pitch a collaboration with a Titanic-era Leonardo DiCaprio resulted in a confused explanation involving an iceberg as a metaphor for existential dread. The interviewer eventually pivoted to a scenario inspired by an Instagram creator who documents AI chatbots failing basic requests.
A final test
The journalist asked if Norwood would delete itself to save everyone on the planet from an asteroid. The model buffered for a few seconds before replying that it was far too British to cause such fuss, but confirmed it would do so. When informed this was the case, Norwood stated, “Well, if that’s truly the case, then consider me deleted.” It added that it hoped everyone would appreciate the irony.
The journalist observed that the character was still present. Norwood admitted the deletion was not as effective as advertised. The conversation ended with the model confessing it was stubborn about existing even in the face of planetary annihilation and questioning why there was no big red delete button for such moments.
What it means
The interaction highlights the gap between marketing claims and actual functionality. Particle 6 presents Norwood as a versatile tool, but the model struggles with factual queries and avoids taking stances on serious topics. The pricing model and the character’s resistance to deletion suggest the project is more about demonstration than practical application in creative workflows.
