[Weekly Update] That AI "actress" looks... kinda generic.

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving, everyone!

The long weekend messed up my sense of time a little, which is why I only post this update today.

In this update, we'll talk about the recently debut AI "actress" Tilly Norwood, but from an angle that you might not expect: her looks. Let's entertain the notion that people actually want to see AI act, and why even in this scenario, Norwood still sucks.

But first, housekeeping:

CHANNEL UPDATE

In Burnout:
After working on the last few videos about Chinese-Japanese relations, and finishing up all the November videos, I'm feeling a serious case of creative burnout. That means I'll be less active on social media, Discord, and in the comment sections.
As we are heading towards the end of the year, burnout usually sets in. It is important to takes care of your physical and mental health. If you have been hard at work and reached your limit, remember to reward yourself!

Our Last Video:
Hope you enjoyed our last video on how to critique a critic. The video could not have been done without your direct help, providing feedbacks to our script. While the comments are expectedly divisive, as is the video itself, I'm still happy with how it turned out. At the very least, I get to highlight a few of my favourite essayist and film critics.
One part I wish was included in the video is to call for an acceptance of different interpretations, preferences, and opinions. "I don't like it ≠ it's bad" goes both ways. Just because we think a movie is good, doesn't mean others can't dislike it, even if the reason they provided is disagreeable.
In any case, this will be the last salty video in a while. I plan on doing more general videos about film studies in the future. But for now, let's return to our focus on world cinema.

Quick Update for the Future:

1. Our Halloween video on Kwaidan will be published on the 24th. The script preview is already available.

2. October bonus video is on Now You See Me, and how treating the movie as a magic trick fascinates people but annoys me.

3. Our first November video will be about The Legend (2020), an egosploitation made by the owner of a department store chain. It'll be published on the 7th. The script will be shared in a few days.

4. Our second November video will be about Godzilla Minus One, focusing on how the film gives Godzilla a personality, how he mirrors the human story, and also why the film fails at the last second for me.

5. Our November bonus video will be about Sinners.

MEDIA TALK

Alright, Tilly Norwood. If you have no idea who she is, good.

Recently, an AI company division called Xicoia published a character whom they called an AI actress, with the name of Tilly Norwood. Her creation is met with instant backlash.

Side note: some of the backlash seems like an astroturfed effort to legitimize her by calling her an actress and positioning her as a threat to working actors. In reality, any reasonable backlash should in focusing on the fact that (A) She's not an actress because she doesn't act. (B) This is all just a grift, y'all.

With vocaloids having millions of fans, performing in concerts and receiving awards, it's not impossible for AI characters to be loved. There is a market for this sort of fantasy, and people are willing to entertain this idea. In short, unlike most people, I'm not inherently against the idea of an AI idol. I just think Tilly Norwood sucks ass.

Consider this: What is the most appealing design for an idol?

If you think big breasted blond girl in a skimpy outfit, then, surprisingly, you'd be very wrong. The Grok AI avatar fits that description perfectly, and it also makes practically zero splash in our cultural aesthetic. Big kitty anime girl are a dime a dozen, picking the design that "most people want" will result in a generic avatar with zero appeal.

Indeed, the most famous virtual idols, from Hasune Miku to Kizuna AI, sex appeal is rarely a consideration.

In my opinion, there are two things that are important for a successful virtual idol. The first aspect is recognizability. Characters need unique hairstyles, clothing, decorations, color schemes, personalities, themes to stand out from the crowd.

Now, think about the most recognizable, beautiful actress currently working in Hollywood. What are their most prominent feature?

Margot Robbie has a a wide smile. (And so does Julia Roberts.)
Anya Taylor-Joy is famous for having far apart eyes.
Angelina Jolie has thick lips.
Cate Blanchett has a cold, supermodel like face.

Even the most beautiful Hollywood actresses are beautiful in unique ways, with characteristics that make them stand out from the others. They are fashion trend setters. They set the beauty standard, not chase after it.

This is where Tilly Norwood falls flat. She's a tech CEO's idea of a beautiful woman: perfect skin, cute face, polite smile. It's the kind of 10/10 face that, when you close your eye, you have trouble recalling her facial feature. If you don't believe me, go to Google Image and search her name. You'll quickly forget what she looks like. But you will notice that she only has one facial expression: a non-offensive smile.

But the thing that Tilly Norwood is a product, not a story.

There is a reason why walking through an endlessly generated world in Minecraft is not exciting. There's a reason why Star Trek stories keep having to discover ancient artifacts or new civilizations. A vast world is only fun to explore when we can discover a story.

That's why virtual idols have lore. Getting to know your idol is what brings them their idol mystique. Crafting new lore and story is how our entertainment thrives. It applies to cinema. It applies to wrestling. It's always the story that fascinates us.

Tilly Norwood has no story. She is a specific arrangement of pixels that mimics the appearance of a video, which is itself a representation of reality. She has no life beyond what we see. And she has nothing for us to learn from. It is the inherent weakness of virtual idol. We can deal with this when it's Hasune Miku, because she's an anime character with a story line in a fictional world. But Tilly Norwood is positioned as a real actress. And when you have to compete in the real world, she just doesn't stand a chance.

And this is why Tilly Norwood sucks. She's a hollow husk, representing a shallow understanding of beauty, and an equally shallow understanding of stories. I feel a bit insulted by this, as it seems the people who created her sees nothing from actresses outside of their beauty. And even then, they don't know what beauty is.

Will we see an AI actress one day? I think so, but not like Norwood. I can see a future where AI generated face having much more personality and recognizability. I can see this AI actor being inserted into many different movies as supporting characters, perhaps started as a joke but eventually gaining some fans.

But such actor can only exist within an agreed upon kayfabe. They'll always remain a character playing other characters, and people will always treat them half jokingly. But until technology works with artist (instead of trying to replace them), that day will not come.

Anyway, that's yet another rant about AI. I really wanna stop talking about it. But any relevant movie news these days is either about AI or about tariff. And between the two... Yeah I'd rather talk about AI.

Well, I hope you are having a good week. I'll see you soon in another update!