At the Zurich Summit this weekend, actor and technologist Eline Van der Velden revealed that her new AI talent studio, Xicoia, is already in discussions with agents about signing its first creation — a hyperreal AI actress named Tilly Norwood.
Van der Velden explained that interest in Norwood has grown quickly since her launch earlier this year. “When we first launched Tilly, people were like, ‘What’s that?’” she said. “Now we’re going to be announcing which agency is going to be representing her in the next few months.”
If successful, Norwood would be among the first AI-generated performers to secure professional representation, traditionally reserved for human actors.
Van der Velden shared the update during a panel on AI at the Zurich Summit. Before the discussion, she had presented her work at Particle6, the production studio she founded, and spoke about Xicoia, its recently unveiled offshoot designed to create, manage, and monetise digital talent.
Watch Tilly Norwood in a Particle6 video here:
She was joined on the panel by Verena Puhm, head of Luma AI’s new Studio Dream Lab LA. Both Van der Velden and Puhm noted that studios and media companies are quietly adopting AI technologies, often behind the scenes, with more public announcements expected in the coming months.
Van der Velden described a shift in industry attitudes over the course of the year. “We were in a lot of boardrooms around February time, and everyone was like, ‘No, this is nothing.’ Then, by May, people were like, ‘We need to do something with you guys,’” she said.
Puhm echoed the sentiment, recalling her own experiences as an AI artist before joining Luma. “Some said, ‘Oh, no, we’re not using AI.’ I knew some were lying, they were already secretly working on projects,” she explained. “By March or April this year, the same people called me and wanted to talk.”
The panel highlighted how attitudes toward AI in entertainment are shifting rapidly. While questions remain about the role of AI talent, the prospect of agencies signing digital stars such as Norwood signals a significant development for the industry.