Tilly Norwood, the world's first AI actor, showcased her Hindi-speaking skills at the NDTV World Summit 2026 in New Delhi, where she attempted a popular Hindi tongue twister.
Tilly took the stage alongside Eline van der Velden, founder and CEO of AI production company Particle6 and the creator of Tilly Norwood, for a session titled 'Can AI Become A Star?'
During the conversation, Tilly was asked about her favourite Indian actor. Responding in Hindi, she said, "Mushkil sawaal hai. Par mujhe Shah Rukh Khan pasand hai" (That's a difficult question. But I like Shah Rukh Khan).
Tilly Norwood Attempts Hindi Tongue Twister
Tilly also tried her hand at a popular Hindi tongue twister during the session. When asked whether she would attempt one, she replied, "Haan bilkul, bataayie kya karna hai?" (Yes, absolutely, tell me what I have to do).
She was then asked to recite 'Kacha papad, pakka papad' five times, which she completed. After finishing the tongue twister, Tilly said, "Yeh toh kaafi aasan the kuch aur mushkil hai kya?" (That was quite easy. Is there anything more difficult?).
#NDTVWorldSummit | AI Actor Tilly Norwood tries Hindi tongue twisters at the #NDTVWorldSummit2026 @TJhumroo https://t.co/Np1WX2GR0y
— NDTV (@ndtv) October 23, 2026
Eline Van Der Velden Says It Took Two Years To Create Tilly Norwood
Speaking about the process of creating Tilly, Eline van der Velden said the project required considerable human effort and creativity.
"In order to build this (AI), a lot of human effort and creativity is required. It took us two years to build Tilly Norwood," she said.
Tilly is an AI-generated character created by British producer and actor Eline van der Velden. She introduced Tilly at the Zurich Film Festival's Summit in 2025. Eline is also the founder of Particle6, an AI production company that describes Tilly as an AI actor and a new form of digital performer.
Tilly Norwood Supports Kriti Sanon's Fight For Personality Rights
During the session, Tilly was asked about actor Kriti Sanon's decision to approach the court to protect her personality rights.
Expressing support for the actor, Tilly said, "I'm completely with her. Rights over likeliness and consent are non negotiable."
The discussion comes amid growing conversations about the use of artificial intelligence in the entertainment industry and the protection of actors' identities, images and voices.
Who Is Tilly Norwood?
Tilly Norwood's introduction in 2025 sparked a debate about the role of artificial intelligence in the entertainment industry and its potential impact on human performers.
Her arrival drew criticism from actors and performers' unions. SAG-AFTRA said Norwood was not an actor but a computer-generated character and warned against replacing human performers with synthetic ones. The union also raised concerns about performers' work being used without proper consent or compensation.
A year after introducing Tilly, Eline returned to the Zurich Film Festival's Summit and addressed the backlash. Speaking to Variety, she said, "It's such an odd conundrum, the sort of negativity and then the positivity at the same time. At Particle6, we've grown eight-fold. We have four departments; we're big in AI advertising, film and TV, we're doing a lot of co-productions and original commissions. We do a lot of AI consultancy, bringing AI workflows into other studios and production companies."
Eline also explained why she created Tilly and how she hoped the character would encourage conversations about technology and entertainment.
"I built her as a physicist actress; I felt like I needed to bridge the gap in communication between the tech and the entertainment industry," she said.
"As opposed to writing a boring white paper about what was happening with AI, I thought: let's create something to show people that will engage them and make them sit up and take action so that the creative industry can stay ahead, as opposed to being completely and utterly taken over by the tech industry," she added.
Tilly Norwood Says, 'I'm Not The Enemy Of Humans'
In an interview with CNN, Tilly addressed the criticism surrounding her existence and the concerns raised by actors about AI-generated performers.
"I'm not the enemy of humans," she said.
During the interview, Tilly spoke with a British accent and described herself as intelligent, friendly and a fan of dry British humour. Responding to criticism from actors, including Emily Blunt, she said she felt "deeply sad."
The NDTV World Summit 2026 is being held in New Delhi on October 22 and 23.
