Equity, a UK-based acting union, has pushed back against the creation of an AI-powered, computer-generated actress named Tilly Norwood. Norwood, created by AI talent studio Xicoia, was reportedly circling talent agencies, according to Eline Van der Velden, the creator of Xicoia and owner of the production outfit Particle6. Many executives in charge of Equity have actively criticized Norwood’s creation, with the union’s audio and new media organizer Shannon Sailing saying in an interview posted to Equity’s Instagram:

“Tilly is not an actress. She is an AI tool. Or it is an AI tool. That’s not a performer. But what that tool is is made up of performers’ work, and we are concerned about where that work has come from, and if that’s been given consent to be used in that way.”

Another executive, Equity’s general secretary Paul Fleming, told Sky News, “A computer program has created something fundamentally disconnected from the work of acting, the craft of acting – but also the soul of a human being.”

Alongside these statements from individual Equity executives, the union also issued a statement on its website, stating that it is demanding the UK government implement minimum standards for AI across Film and Television. “Alongside these critical negotiations, we continue to lobby the U.K. government to strengthen performers’ rights so that all artists are protected, including those in other sectors who do not benefit from the safeguards of union contracts,” the statement says.

This is the second acting union to condemn Norwood’s creation, following a similar statement from SAG-AFTRA on Tuesday.