News

AI "Director" Joins Hollywood Debate After Backlash Over Synthetic Actress

• By John K. Waters
• 10/02/2025

Just days after Hollywood erupted over the launch of an AI-generated actress, producers are now touting what they call the first film directed by an artificial intelligence system.

Italian producer Andrea Iervolino this week unveiled The Sweet Idleness, a project overseen by an AI dubbed "FellinAI." The film imagines a future set in 2135 where nearly all human work has been automated, and a small minority continues to labor in jobs such as mining, while the rest live in comfort.

The entire production, including direction and acting, was generated by AI. Cast members came from Actor+, a company affiliated with Iervolino that creates digital performers from the likenesses of real people. Iervolino is credited as "human-in-the-loop," guiding the system.

In a statement to Italian magazine Ciak, he described FellinAI as a director that "never sleeps," and argued the approach is an "alternative method of creation" rather than a replacement for traditional cinema.

Rising tensions
The release comes amid intense debate over synthetic performers. Over the weekend, industry attention focused on Tilly Norwood, a digital creation by UK-based Particle6 promoted as an AI actress. Talent agencies were reported to be interested in representing the avatar, prompting backlash from actors and the Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA).

SAG-AFTRA issued a statement rejecting Tilly as a legitimate performer, stating that the character was built from the work of professional actors without their consent or compensation. "It has no life experience to draw from, no emotion," the union said, adding that such creations threaten livelihoods and devalue human artistry.

Actors including Sophie Turner and Ariana DeBose criticized the trend, while others expressed concern that AI-driven projects could take work from background and voice performers in particular.

Industry response
Iervolino, whose previous credits include Ferrari and To the Bone, said his use of AI is not intended to displace actors or directors. However, the announcement comes shortly after strikes by Hollywood writers and actors over the use of AI in productions, underscoring fears that automation could erode creative labor.

Proponents argue that synthetic performers and AI directors could open new creative possibilities, likening them to earlier breakthroughs such as computer-generated imagery or animation. Critics counter that, unlike those technologies, generative AI is trained on existing human work without consent, and could be used by studios to avoid paying talent.

SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin stated that the union will raise the issue in negotiations with talent agencies. "With regard to AI, we have an extraordinary amount of leverage, because the audience wants to see real human performers," he said.

As projects like The Sweet Idleness emerge, Hollywood faces mounting questions about how much AI will be allowed to shape the future of film — and at what cost to human creativity.