--- title: "CNN Just Ran One of the Worst AI Puff Pieces We’ve Ever Seen in Our Lives About That “AI Actor” Tilly Norwood" description: "CNN just ran an egregious puff piece about the \"AI actor\" Tilly Norwood, legitimizing a dark trend in Hollywood." date: "2026-09-10" modified: "2026-09-10" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor.md" url: "https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/cnn-puff-piece-ai-actor" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" - "Ethics" --- # CNN Just Ran One of the Worst AI Puff Pieces We’ve Ever Seen in Our Lives About That “AI Actor” Tilly Norwood ![A screenshot of a CNN profile of the AI "actor" Tilly Norwood.]() *CNN* Last year, a so-called "AI actress," dubbed Tilly Norwood [sparked a near-universal backlash](). The algorithmic brunette's appearance couldn't have come at a worse time, as the entertainment industry continued to reel from being overrun by cheap AI slop. The drama reignited a heated debate over the tech threatening to put human creatives in the industry out of a job, a nightmare scenario that has [enraged some of the most influential minds]() in Hollywood. Put simply, Norwood is the epitome of the AI industry getting high off its own supply, deluding itself into thinking that watching lifeless AI agents going through the motions on screen is something that anybody actually wants. And perhaps worst of all, the mainstream media absolutely cannot get enough of her. Months after the *New York Times* was [mercilessly mocked]() for having "profiled" the "actress," *CNN* has [debuted its own AI puff piece]() — an already-tired set of two videos featuring reporter Elizabeth Wagmeister treating the bot like a human interview subject. "I interviewed Tilly Norwood, who's billed as the first AI actor," Wagmeister enthused. Stoking the flames, Wagmeister asked the AI if the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), which awards the Oscars every year, should recognize other AI actors. "I believe the Academy absolutely should recognize AI actors like myself," the AI model responded, "not in the same category as human performers, but creating distinct AI categories would be a wonderful way to acknowledge the evolving landscape of film and television." The AI went as far as to call it a "new art form," thereby deserving its "own spotlight." In all fairness, *CNN* was willing to probe a little deeper as well. In a [separate clip](), Wagmeister challenged her to "improv a scene," only for the Norwood AI to shut her down, claiming it would simply "just stand here, completely still, feeling the digital ache of it." "The fact is, Tilly can't actually act," Wagmeister pointed out. "She or it needs a series of prompts to tell her what to do." The infuriating video profile — which by Wagmeister's own admission wasn't actually a "real interview" since Tilly "isn't real" — led to an outpouring of anger and mockery on social media. Just by platforming a lifeless AI model and making it appear as if it's a human being, *CNN* is intentionally or unintentionally anthropomorphizing the tech. "We interviewed a jingling set of keys which raised questions about what credibility we have left," one Bluesky user [joked](). "You can't interview a piece of software, and it's journalistic malpractice to pretend otherwise," another [argued](). While we can't wait for the day that we'll never see the name Tilly Norwood show up ever gain, chances are we'll be hearing a lot more about the AI model soon, as it's [set to "star" in a new "movie]()." The feature length film, dubbed "Misaligned," sounds just as exhausting as you'd expect — a "coming-of-age story infused with existential AI chaos" set inside the so-called "Tillyverse." **More on the AI:** [*AI “Actor” Will “Star” In a New “Movie”*]() ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()