IThe past few years have been tough for people working in Hollywood. Good news is hard to come by, with major film and television production companies leaving California, job losses due to messy mergers, and Los Angeles literally on fire over and over again.
But hope now came from an unexpected source. “AI actor” Tilly Norwood has released a music video for “Take the Lead,” a loose approximation of the Disney ballad, that is so bad that it may do more to remind people of the power and importance of human-made art than any previous protest or petition.
Perhaps this was not Norwood’s intention, or even that of her creator Eline van der Velden (CEO of AI-focused production company Particle 6 and “AI talent studio” Xicoia). The brunette, hazel-eyed digital star caused a stir when she was first unveiled last year. The fact that this music video was released in the run-up to this year’s Oscars indicates that Norwood’s rulers thought it would serve as a shot at Hollywood’s elite and help signal Avatar’s emergence as a full-fledged A-lister. “Can’t wait to go to the Oscars!” they wrote in the video’s gruesome YouTube caption. “Does anyone know if there is free valet parking for my flamingo?”
Needless to say, Norwood has no plans to attend the Oscars this year or ever. In fact, the music videos are full of eerily fluid approximations of things that AI creations would never be able to do, such as walking around the streets of London or Los Angeles, taking selfies with fans, or chatting on couches. of graham norton show.
The rest of the video looks like Katy Perry’s “California Gurls” without personality, and the flamingo mentioned in the caption is a lifeless rendering that only succeeds in dragging the whole thing deeper into the uncanny valley. Rather than an impressive demonstration of AI’s potential, this video serves as a reminder of all the ways Norwood is, and will continue to be, unable to interact with the real world in which we humans actually live.
All of this is before I even discuss this song, which is teeth-grindingly painful to listen to. The video begins with a disclaimer that “18 real people, from production designers to costume designers to teleprompters to editors to actors,” were involved in the process. You’ll notice they don’t claim that musicians aren’t involved in this monster. I had to listen to this song many times while writing this piece, and it’s hard to believe that these “real people” have “real ears.”
What’s strangest of all are the lyrics. The chorus is a fierce defense of AI, with Avatar singing: “We can expand, we can grow / We can be the creators we’ve always known / This is the next evolution, you know? / AI is not the enemy, it’s the key.” But shortly after that, Norwood tells a bizarre lie that he’s human and has a soul. “They say it’s not real, it’s fake / But I’m still human, make no mistake / My soul is in everything I do.”
Unsurprisingly, online reaction to the video was generally negative. One YouTube commenter said, “It’s weird how they keep saying she’s human when she literally isn’t,” while another noted that Norwood’s portrayal can’t stay consistent over the length of a four-minute music video, saying, “I’ve never seen so many freckles disappear, reappear, or move to different places.”
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Many more were also angry that natural resources were gobbled up during the making of the video, with one writing: “No flamingos were harmed, but about the drinking water you humans are obsessed with…” and another observed: “These nerdy CEOs really think we want this water, not a healthy water supply.” A 2023 University of California study calculated that ChatGPT “drinks” approximately 500 ml of water for every 10 to 50 medium-length responses. A bad music video probably requires much more.
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Just last October, some actors began seriously worrying about what the dawn of Norwood would mean for their careers. Toni Collette, Natasha Lyonne and Whoopi Goldberg all spoke out against the development of AI, while Emily Blunt cried: “Lord, we’re extreme.”
Thankfully, rumors regarding the actor’s demise have been greatly exaggerated based on this new evidence. Technology will (definitely) improve, but “Take The Lead” is a constant reminder that AI is underperforming.
This Sunday’s Oscar ceremony will feature many winners and even more losers, and everyone involved will experience the full range of human emotions as they find out who is who. Tilly Norwood could never do it.
