Last year, a company called Title6 created a stir with a photorealistic AI-generated character dubbed Tilly Norwood that it was positioning as a performer with real-world Hollywood agents and claims it could compete with flesh-and-blood actors. 

Now, Tilly is back with a music video for a new song, Take the Lead, that finds the virtual performer dealing with the pressures of fame.

How is it?

Well…

Lyrics directly reference the challenges of being an AI character in a world where many people are openly hostile to AI creations. Tilly begins by singing on rooftops in a city, but soon she’s watching her fame blow up with dolls made in her image and online commenters trying to tear her down. The video moves on to fantasy sequences as the song ramps up into an attempt at an inspirational anthem. Think Kelly Clarkson or Katy Perry, without the warmth, with lyrics that make Taylor Swift’s confessionals look like the work of Maya Angelou.

The overall theme is that, no matter what you may think, Tilly and AI are here to stay, despite the haters.

One sample lyric: “AI’s not the enemy. It’s the key.” Yikes!  

So far, the reaction has ranged from dismissive, with Variety calling the video “bizarre,” to the Los Angeles Times weighing in that the video is so bad, actors needn’t worry that the Tilly Norwoods of the AI world will put them out of work. Polygon said that the video makes Rebecca Black’s Friday look like Beyoncé’s Formation.

Gizmodo was more succinct, saying in the headline for a story about the video, “It sucks.”

One of the reasons Tilly Norwood has drawn such ire is that the character represents a larger fight in entertainment over whether actors, directors, writers and other creative workers will be replaced by AI. AI has been a major sticking point in multiple entertainment union strikes and continues to cause debate over guardrails and copyright concerns as increasingly realistic photo- and video-generating AI models evolve.

Will Tilly’s creators release more music videos? Will the AI star respond to the backlash to the video about the previous backlash? Stay tuned.