The entertainment industry saw a frenzy of new concerns about artificial intelligence in the last month, with the introduction of AI-generated “actress” Tilly Norwood. The AI performer’s creator, Eline Van Der Velden, and her company Particle6 have been the targets of widespread backlash. Recently, Van Der Velden addressed another rumor about Tilly Norwood’s development that was causing controversy.
The response to Tilly Norwood possibly signing with Hollywood agencies has been overwhelmingly negative, as many industry professions support the argument that this advancement endangers jobs and the value of human creativity. While SAG-AFTRA released an official statement condemning the AI actress, Van Der Velden also had to answer questions about how this project was funded.
Particle6 received a grant of £120,000 ($160,000) from the British Film Institute’s UK Global Screen Fund in November 2023, prompting concerns that the funding from the historic cinematic institution was being used to potentially take work away from human filmmakers and performers. Van Der Velden made a statement to Deadline that the grant was “entirely unrelated,” and used elsewhere.
A spokesperson for the BFI backed up Van Der Velden. The Tilly Norwood creator responded to these rumors and explained, saying:
In 2023, Particle6 was proud and deeply grateful to receive support through the BFI UK Global Screen Fund’s International Business Development strand.
In line with the terms of the grant, all funding was dedicated exclusively to advancing our international growth strategy. This included key initiatives such as attending overseas markets and conferences, acquiring new IP, and engaging a head of international outreach — all of which were fully approved and communicated with the BFI. This outreach role began as a consultancy position, and as our ambitions grew, the senior industry executive who initially served as our consultant became Particle6’s chief commercial officer in summer 2025.
It’s important to note that this grant is entirely unrelated to Xicoia, which was established later, in February 2025 (and formally announced in September). Xicoia — and its first AI talent, Tilly Norwood (launched publicly in July 2025) — were fully funded by my own personal investment.
Today, as an AI talent studio, Xicoia operates as an independent company while maintaining a service agreement with Particle6. Particle6 continues to thrive as a diverse production company, creating across AI, traditional television, and commercial formats.
The BFI’s statement is as follows: “The UK Global Screen Fund award was granted to Particle6 and is entirely separate to Xicoia’s development of Tilly Norwood, with no crossover in activity or resources. The BFI was not aware of any intention for the development of Xicoia Ltd or of Tilly Norwood at the time of application.“
Had Particle6 used the BFI grant for a different purpose than what was agreed upon from the outset, the BFI would likely have sued them for this infringement. The BFI’s statement appears to emphasize that they were not aware of the development of Tilly Norwood at the time, or that Van Der Velden was planning on starting the new company and AI talent studio, Xicoia, through which the AI actress was funded.
The BFI previously took an opposing stance on AI when it released a report in June revealing that 130,000 movies and TV shows have been used to train AI, saying this “poses a threat to the fundamental economics of the screen sector.” The BFI has funded AI-related projects, which have mostly focused on researching the impact of AI on the industry.
The rumors of the BFI directly funding Tilly Norwood‘s development are apparently debunked by both major parties denying this and explaining what the grant was used for. However, while the BFI has cautiously dabbled in AI development before, it and other entertainment institutions may be forced to take a more definitive stance in the future, given the danger that many think AI performers pose.
