©Courtesy of Particle 6, Tilly Norwood

It seems that the age of the AI actor has arrived. This weekend, Eline Van Der Velden, the founder and CEO of Particle 6, will present the AI talent studio Xicoia at the Zurich Film Festival, where she will focus on creating AI talent that can be used in film and TV productions, video games, podcasts, YouTube, and other user experiences.

Xicoia will manage and monetise this ‘new generation of digital stars’ and make use of Particle6’s proprietary avatar personality engine DeepFame, along with a “direct fan engagement platform.”

Over three dozen emotionally intelligent AI personas are being developed by the company, all of which have complete backstories, distinct voices, evolving narrative arcs, and fully realized personalities.

Tilly Norwood is the initial character in the portfolio and has already been introduced on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.

Velden indicates she’s in talks with several talent agents who are interested in singing the AI-generated Norwood – “we’re going to be announcing which agency is going to be representing her in the next few months”. The company will have human creative oversight to ensure safety and relevance despite AI automation of much of the character’s responsiveness.

Several Hollywood stars have expressed their desire to appear on screen as their younger or current selves through the company’s collaborations.

Their collaboration with estates is aimed at bringing iconic performers back to the big screen, and they are also providing studios with a new way to reimagine and exploit their existing IP.