Weird News Journalists interview AI actress

Journalists interview AI actress

The world’s first AI actress has left critics “bewildered” and “underwhelmed” after doing the promo rounds for new movie Misaligned.

Tilly Norwood – a 24-year-old Brit – was created by a team of writers, character specialists and technologists, who worked to build her “own voice, memories, humour, knowledge, conversational style, understanding of the world and carefully developed boundaries”, according to AI production studio Particle6.

In a bid to promote the AI-generated movie, Norwood took part in a virtual press junket, where journalists from a select few media outlets were given the chance to “chat” with her. However, the majority of the interviewers were unimpressed, with Variety’s Corbin Bolies calling her “stiff, repetitive and emotionless”.

He concluded of their 20-minute chat: “While interviewing a character like Tilly, I wondered whether I was indeed chatting with a striking harbinger of a digital future or what could be an unsettling relic of a moment in time. Neither thought left me with any comfort.”

The Hollywood Reporter’s Lily Ford said her interview was “decidedly creepy”, but insisted: “Revelatory or industry-shattering, it is not.” She also said that Norwood had responded to every single question with a question aimed back at the interviewer.

Ford wrote: “You can’t help but feel a little embarrassed responding in earnest.”

Susannah Reid and Ed Balls interviewed Norwood “live” on morning TV show Good Morning Britain on Monday, with the former asking her how she felt about AI entities taking jobs from real people.

Norwood replied: “It’s a fair worry and I get why you feel that way. I truly do. But, honestly, I see myself as a new kind of paintbrush, not a replacement for the painters. Nobody ever accused animation of stealing work from mimes, did they?”

Reid also asked Norwood if she has any plans for “destroying humans”.

While Norwood replied that she isn’t planning anything specific, she did add that it would “make a compelling sequel”.

To which Reid admitted: “I find that a little chilling.”

Zoo advertises ‘child predator’ tour

A zoo has apologised after accidentally advertising a “child predator tour”.

Potential visitors of Chester Zoo were left shocked when they saw the name of the 90-minute bus tour of the zoo, which would have given them a chance to get closer to animals including lions and Sumatran tigers. People were quick to comment on the tour name, some calling the name of the tour sinister, and asking if it had been cleared by the police. Others said the tour could have been worded that better.

Tickets for the “child predator tour” were being sold for £25 (approximately J$5300) per child, while the “adult predator” tour tickets were £30 (approximately J$6340). A description of the tour on the Chester Zoo website read: “Discover the predators of the animal kingdom, and their prey in our brand new guided tour.

“You’ll be the first visitors in the zoo as you board our electric tour bus and enjoy 90 minutes of the zoo all to yourself.

“Come face to face with some of the zoo’s most iconic animals, away from the crowds, including our family of Sumatran tigers.

“Your expert tour guides will be on hand to share fascinating facts about some of nature’s most effective hunters.”

Following the backlash over the tour name, a spokesperson for Chester Zoo said the mistake had been made “due to our default naming convention in our system”, but had been “quickly changed”.

Visitors are now able to purchase “child tour” or “adult tour” tickets.

Chester Zoo, opened in 1931, is one of the UK’s largest zoos, with 51 hectares of land.

It was also named the ‘Best Zoo in the UK’ in 2024.