Ahead of the first anniversary of the launch of AI-generated performance avatar Tilly Norwood, Equity is calling for AI protections in the film and TV industry and the introduction of personality rights for all.
If we act collectively as an industry – including casting platforms rejecting AI use which reduces artists’ work, producers committing to human performance, and workers standing together to negotiate, AI can serve the creative workforce rather than the other way round.
Paul W Fleming, Equity general secretary
Launched at the Zurich Film Festival on 27 September 2025, ‘AI actress’ Tilly Norwood sent shockwaves across the acting community and sharpened the union’s focus on securing explicit industrial protections for performers alongside wider protections for everyone over their voice and likeness.
Equity is close to securing the first ever automatic AI protections for film and TV performers, including explicit rights regarding transparency, consent and remuneration, alongside an industry commitment to strongly prefer human performance. Talks with Pact (Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television) are at an advanced stage.
Alongside this industrial work, Equity is calling for the introduction of personality rights over people’s voice and likeness. These rights would allow everyone to have control over their identity in the age of AI. They would provide a new layer of protection against exploitation by AI models without consent and would prevent malicious use of digital replicas to undermine our democratic processes.
Paul W Fleming, Equity general secretary, said: “Equity’s collective agreements are incredibly powerful vehicles to embed minimum standards across the industries our members work in. We will ensure that contracts for film and TV work in the UK include mandatory protections regarding AI, ensuring the permission and payment of performers for their voice or likeness is central.
“There is something fundamentally human about performance art and entertainment. This industry relies on the unique and compelling performances created by professionals, and that will not change. The exploitation of this precarious workforce is also not new, so Equity will pursue protections and minimum standards that performers can rely on in every sector of the entertainment industry.
“Alongside protections for performers, Equity wants the government to introduce personality rights to benefit everyone across society. Unauthorised, malicious, and sexualised generative AI digital replicas are a threat to our democracy, decency and wellbeing. Legal personality rights are the answer to this, and we strongly urge Andy Burnham’s government to grasp the moment and move swiftly to introduce them.
“If we act collectively as an industry – including casting platforms rejecting AI use which reduces artists’ work, producers committing to human performance, and workers standing together to negotiate, AI can serve the creative workforce rather than the other way round.”
For more information on Equity’s work on AI, visit Stop AI Stealing the Show - Demand Personality Rights | Equity
