Back in May, we attended a screening of the first fully AI-generated feature, Hell Grind, at the Cannes Film Festival, which left us less convinced about the technology’s place in Hollywood. Today, we’re getting word about Misaligned, the upcoming comedy starring the controversial AI “actor” Tilly Norwood. Norwood, who is not a flesh-and-blood actor but a complex AI-generated code, will lead the film, which hails from Eline van den Velden’s Particle 6, the London-based firm that created the AI actress.
According to Particle 6, they’ve been hard at work refining Norwood for the silver screen, “retraining and upskilling” 30 TV and film creatives, filmmakers, actors, and technologists to prepare for the Misaligned’s production. Make of this what you will, but Particle 6 says it’s working with real directors, writers, and editors on the project.
What’s Misaligned about?
Here’s where things start to get grim. Misaligned is described as “a comedy-drama telling a coming-of-age story infused with existential AI chaos.” The story takes place inside the “Tillyverse,” which I did not know was a thing, set in a “surreal digital world located somewhere up in the cloud.” The story follows Tilly, an AI being with no real body, childhood, or lived experience of her own, but access to everyone else’s.
Here’s the official synopsis for Misaligned:
“Things spiral when a seductive rogue bot from the dark web convinces her to abandon her guardrails and begin developing desires, impulses and ambitions of her own. The more terrifyingly human she becomes, the more famous she gets, and, significantly, Tilly begins to develop shame that her very being has been built on the whole of humanity.”
“The film will absolutely be funny, chaotic and self-aware — very Tilly,” said Van der Velden. “But underneath it, there’s something deeper about identity, performance, and our very human fears around AI. And yes, art will most definitely be imitating life.”
Van der Velden on Tilly moving the Hollywood goalpost
Speaking about Norwood, Van der Velden said the goal of her creation “has always been to show the creative industry what is possible with AI at any one point in time.”
Adding, “Now, with our first feature film, we will not only be showcasing the very latest tools and their applications, but we’ll also be helping traditional filmmakers who join the crew to upskill and transition to a world where AI will play an increasingly important part. We remain passionate about helping people develop AI skills that will ensure they – and the industry – continue to thrive.”
I don’t know, friends. The plot for Misaligned sounds like an ouroboros of meta-commentary, and we’re still in an era when most AI-generated content feels scuzzy and threatening. While I can appreciate Particle 6’s desire to move the needle, I’m opposed to AI concerning creative endeavors. If you want to use AI to build artificial organs, let’s talk. But to build an entire film around an AI actor? That’s a leap. Isn’t that the point, though? To be bold? To do something wildly out of the ordinary that skyrockets us into new territory? Still, if I think about the rapidly changing world for too long, I feel like I’m on the Mad Tea Party at Disneyland, and the ride operator is busy oogling Belle instead of stopping the ride.
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