The ‘Tillyverse’ Is Coming: Inside the Rapid Expansion of AI’s First Digital Superstar

Tilly Norwood, the fully AI-generated “actor” created by Eline van der Velden, is heading for what her studio calls a rapid expansion. 

The plan centers on launching the “Tillyverse,” a digital universe where Norwood and other AI characters will exist side by side. The expansion is being led by Xicoia, the AI talent studio founded by van der Velden and owned by Particle6. To help drive the next phase, the company has hired former Prime Video executive Mark Whelan as head of strategy and operations.

According to the studio, the Tillyverse will be “a dynamic, constantly evolving digital universe where Tilly and a new generation of AI characters will live, collaborate and build careers.” The project is expected to launch later this year.

Whelan joins from Amazon Prime Video, where he spent six years leading social expansion across Europe. During his time there, he worked on brands including The Grand Tour and Clarkson’s Farm. He also helped launch YouTube formats such as “De Knop,” which later became an Amazon Original, according to Deadline. 

Xicoia describes him as its first major hire and says he will oversee the growth of Norwood’s digital persona, while also leading the development of new proprietary AI characters for both Xicoia and Particle6. The company also plans to create bespoke AI talent for third parties.

“Becoming a lead architect of the Tillyverse is genuinely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. AI is evolving at breathtaking speed, and combining cutting-edge tech with ambitious creative thinking means we’re not following an industry playbook at Xicoia — we are writing it,” Whelan said in a statement.

He added: “Tilly already has the momentum, an audience and the cultural spark. Now we’re writing her story and building her universe. It’s a huge responsibility — but an incredibly exciting one. I think the world is going to have a lot of fun watching what happens next.”

Building a digital star

Van der Velden has positioned Norwood as more than a tech experiment. 

“Tilly Norwood isn’t just an AI character — she’s a personality, a brand, and a future global superstar with a compelling narrative arc,” she continued. “Mark will help us craft and shape every layer of her world, from her humour, daily life and career choices to how she interacts with fans across various platforms. It all promises to be bold, playful, a little chaotic — and impossible to ignore.”

The company says it is focused on building intellectual property at scale and redefining how talent is created and developed in the AI era, rather than simply experimenting with digital avatars.

Controversy still lingers

Norwood’s rise has not been without controversy.

When Norwood first emerged last year, she sparked a full-blown industry meltdown. News that the AI character was in talks with talent agencies prompted outrage on both sides of the Atlantic. Actors’ unions SAG-AFTRA and Equity voiced strong opposition, while Hollywood A-listers weighed in with their concerns.

SAG-AFTRA didn’t mince words in its assessment of Norwood, stating that “creativity is, and should remain, human-centered.”

The concerns run so deep that SAG-AFTRA is reportedly proposing what’s being called the “Tilly tax” in ongoing contract negotiations with major studios, a fee that studios would have to pay to the union in exchange for using an AI actor. Van der Velden, however, has consistently pushed back against the narrative that her creation is a threat. 

Also read: Hollywood’s fight over synthetic talent is colliding with AI video tools, raising fresh copyright alarms.

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