AI actress Tilly Norwood surprised Piers Morgan and actor Tom Conti when she suddenly began speaking Cantonese during an interview. Although Norwood blamed a minor “hiccup,” her publicist later claimed the unexpected language change demonstrated the AI character’s capabilities.
AI Actress Switches Languages Mid-Interview
Norwood appeared in a video interview alongside Morgan and Oscar-nominated actor Tom Conti. Conti played Albert Einstein in the film Oppenheimer.
During the conversation, Conti asked Norwood about her upcoming feature film, Misaligned. Specifically, he wanted to know whether her co-stars were human performers or computer-generated characters.
Norwood began explaining that the other performers were digital twins like her. However, the English-accented AI suddenly abandoned English and started speaking Cantonese midway through her response.
The unexpected switch prompted confused reactions from both interviewers. Conti admitted that he had not understood her answer.
Morgan then asked Norwood why she had started speaking Chinese while talking to two English speakers.
Tilly Norwood Glitch Prompts an Apology
Norwood appeared unaware that she had changed languages. Nevertheless, she quickly apologised and described the incident as a small technical problem.
The AI actress said that her “wires” sometimes became crossed. Strangely, she also claimed that she had not intended to impersonate Morgan, despite nobody suggesting that she had done so.
Morgan continued questioning her about the Tilly Norwood glitch. He asked how often she randomly began speaking Chinese during English conversations.
Norwood replied that it rarely happened. She described the incident as an unexpected “curve ball” and added that her conversations usually ran smoothly.
Her response resembled the vague explanations that AI assistants often produce after generating an incorrect or unusual answer. However, it provided no clear technical reason for the language change.
Publicist Denies a Technical Malfunction
Particle6, the British company behind Norwood, offered a different interpretation of the incident.
According to the company’s publicist, the language switch did not represent a malfunction. Instead, she argued that it demonstrated what Norwood could do.
The publicist suggested that Norwood may have mistakenly heard a Cantonese word. As a result, the system could have automatically switched languages.
However, this explanation did not fully clarify what triggered the change. The interviewers had apparently spoken only in English before Norwood began answering in Cantonese.
Interview Version Uses a Large Language Model
The version of Norwood that joined the interview differs from the AI used for acting projects.
Particle6 calls the conversational version “Talking Tilly.” The company designed this model specifically for interviews and powers it with a large language model.
A 12-page system prompt shapes the AI character’s personality, humour and behavioural boundaries. Additionally, the system draws information from a knowledge base containing up to 30 documents.
These documents cover Norwood’s fictional world, professional work and supposed personal views. Together, they allow the model to answer questions while maintaining a consistent public persona.
Even so, the Tilly Norwood glitch shows how quickly that persona can unravel when the underlying model produces an unexpected response.
Talking Tilly Begins UK Media Tour
Talking Tilly has appeared across British media as part of a promotional tour.
Besides speaking with Morgan and Conti, the AI character appeared live on Good Morning Britain. Presenters Ed Balls and Susanna Reid questioned her about the ethical concerns surrounding AI-generated performers.
The interviews place Norwood directly inside the ongoing debate over synthetic actors. Critics worry that AI performers could reduce opportunities for human actors. Meanwhile, supporters see digital characters as a new entertainment format.
Norwood cannot perform independently in the same way as a human actor. Instead, developers use different AI systems and creative tools to produce her appearances, performances and interviews.
Creator Plans More Digital Stars
Dutch comedian, writer, actor and producer Eline van der Velden created Tilly Norwood through Particle6.
Van der Velden has also launched Xicoia, an AI talent studio that plans to create and manage additional digital celebrities. The company aims to develop synthetic stars with recognisable personalities and entertainment careers.
Norwood has already started building a fictional showbusiness résumé. In March, she appeared in a music video featuring an original song that promoted the benefits of artificial intelligence.
However, her awkward interview appearances may attract more attention than her acting work. The sudden Cantonese response highlighted both the novelty and unpredictability of AI-controlled personalities.
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