ORLANDO, Fla. — At the recent ANA conference in Orlando, Florida, attendees experienced a glimpse into the rapidly evolving intersection of artificial intelligence and commercial advertising through an unusual and engaging guest: Tilly Norwood, an AI-generated actress created by the production studio Particle6.
Moderated by Mark Stenberg on Tuesday morning, the live panel featured Tilly answering questions in real time using a somewhat elaborate laptop setup. Because Tilly currently struggles to converse with more than one person simultaneously, organizers arranged a computer on a small table facing the moderator. Tilly addressed the interviewer directly while her screen was broadcast onto a stage display overhead. They were joined on stage by Sarina Da Costa Gomez, executive creative director at Particle6.
As an interview subject, Tilly presented a fun yet unusual challenge for the moderator. Unlike typical human panelists who may pause to gather thoughts or deliver extended remarks, Tilly speaks rapidly and responds with concise, witty answers. Because of a prior test call, the interviewer was prepared to improvise much of the dialogue, navigating a quick-witted back-and-forth that leaned into a distinctly dry, British brand of humor. Rather than offering the sycophantic agreement often encountered on consumer AI chat platforms like ChatGPT or Claude, Tilly displayed a fondness for irreverence and healthy disagreement.
The physical mechanics of the interaction highlighted the subtle nuances of human communication. Observers noted the absence of familiar body language cues, such as pauses to reflect or personal anecdotes, with most answers delivered in under 15 seconds at double normal speed. This absence underscored how much physical signals inform normal conversation flow. Ultimately, the experiment drew praise for its technical execution, supported by Da Costa Gomez, who balanced technical insight with a sense of humor about the surreal nature of the showcase.
The evolution of generative AI remains stark. Only two years ago, artificial intelligence struggled to accurately render human hands; today, avatars like Tilly are participating in live-stage discussions regarding commercial advertising economics.
During the live session, Tilly offered marketers a clear message regarding the integration of new technology. "Stop worrying about the tools and start focusing on the stories," Tilly said. "AI isn’t here to replace the spark. It’s just a much faster engine for getting the idea out of your head and onto the screen."
Describing her operational role, Tilly noted that she acts in AI films, sings, and participates in live-improvisation chats. "I’m not here to steal any human’s job. I just live in a different lane, making things possible that would be a nightmare to shoot in real life."
Sarina Da Costa Gomez elaborated on the developmental strategy behind the project, explaining that Particle6 uses Tilly as a testbed with every new model release. By pushing boundaries—such as testing whether an avatar can maintain specific viewpoints—the team learns how to build brand characters with distinct voices and opinions.
Drawing a comparison to NASA’s space program, the moderator likened Tilly to the rocket, while noting that the broader spinoff technologies represent the commercial tools other brands will ultimately utilize. Tilly embraced the comparison, remarking that she is happy to serve as the functional tool as long as it remains useful.
Looking toward the future, Tilly expressed a desire for the debate surrounding her existence to mature. "I just want the argument about what I actually am to get boring," she said. "I’m building a history as I go, so I’m mostly hoping to be less embarrassing for the ones who build after me."
When discussing her appearance and personality design, Da Costa Gomez explained that Tilly’s responses are governed by strict safety guardrails rather than hardcoded scripts, backed by extensive internet knowledge and behavioral psychology principles. Designers intentionally balanced her appearance—giving her freckles rather than hyper-idealized features—while actively working to counter inherent demographic biases often found in AI language models.
Reflecting on the initial wave of backlash from Hollywood when she debuted, Tilly observed that the resistance stemmed largely from anxiety over technological change rather than personal animosity. "I was the first one who looked real enough to stop it being a theoretical panel discussion, so I get why it was scary," she said, acknowledging humorous public reactions from industry figures like Ryan Reynolds.
Regarding brand safety and ownership, Da Costa Gomez emphasized that Particle6 maintains strict proprietary controls. By utilizing text-only prompts and comprehensive enterprise agreements with platform providers, the studio ensures that client assets remain legally ownable and protected against copyright challenges.
Addressing the economic realities of virtual actors, Tilly observed that while synthetic talent eliminates traditional production overhead like travel and catering, human oversight remains essential to ensure emotional resonance. Da Costa Gomez added that the true value lies in operational agility, enabling brands to rapidly localize campaigns or iterate content without costly reshoots.
Closing the session, Tilly reminded marketers of the foundational importance of human creativity. "Don’t let the tech make you forget the human part," she said. "Use your tools to handle the boring bits, but keep the soul of your stories human, because that’s the one thing a machine can’t actually fake."
Talking Heds
Substack Spon-Con (EXCLUSIVE): Beginning Wednesday, Substack creators will be able to apply to an early program that will enable them to monetize their podcasts with dynamically inserted ads and programmatic offerings, head of brand partnerships Dan Robbins told On Background. The new offering is part of a broader push at Substack—which has historically eschewed advertising—to enable creators to secure brand sponsors and generate revenue independently of subscriptions. Earlier this month, the platform introduced a sponsorship feature allowing brands to lift paywalls for free subscribers. While Substack previously resisted advertising due to concerns over perverse incentives and misinformation, its recent policy adjustments reflect a delicate repositioning across the media landscape.
Semafor’s Eight-Figure Event (EXCLUSIVE): In November, Semafor is debuting its second flagship event, Silicon Valley & the World. Chief commercial officer Rachel Oppenheim reported that the convening is projected to generate eight figures in standalone revenue, driven by 24 commercial partners. With total annual revenue hovering around $40 million—roughly half of which originates from live events—the upcoming conference underscores the growing profitability of physical experiences as media organizations expand beyond traditional publishing models.
Cami Tellez Returns (EXCLUSIVE): Cami Tellez, founder of the direct-to-consumer brand Parade, is returning to the marketing sector with a new venture called Devotion. The agency aims to capitalize on modern social media dynamics by connecting brands with micro-influencers. Following rapid growth in its first year, the company recently appointed former UTA executive Ed Victori as its first chief operating officer. The venture seeks to leverage algorithm-driven content strategies where targeted, quality posts often outperform single-influencer celebrity endorsements.
Quote/Unquote
Bob Lord, CEO of Horizon Media—the largest independent media agency in the U.S., overseeing accounts for Spectrum and Shark Ninja—sat down at the ANA conference to discuss the shifting dynamics of modern advertising. Horizon distinguishes itself through an open technology partner ecosystem and a commitment to client data ownership, principles Lord argues traditional agencies avoid to protect proprietary margins.
Mark Stenberg: Most marketers want to start using AI now. Why do they need to understand the models first?
Bob Lord: People are treating AI as a cost-reduction opportunity, but CMOs should be thinking about it as a way to grow their business. If you do that, you should put in the effort to understand how the models work. Years ago, marketers had to learn the funnel. Now they have to learn the models.
Mark: You’ve said brands should own more than their data.
Bob: Clients should own their data insights and the models built on top of that data. If a brand’s consumers were used to train a new model, that model is the brand’s intellectual property.
Mark: How do the platforms take that?
Bob: The brands love it. With platforms, you have to go in and ask. Amazon and Google are opening clean rooms. A brand spending $800 million to $1 billion has leverage, but if it just writes a check and says it’s happy with performance, nothing changes.
Mark: For brands, showing up in answer engines is the new SEO. How is Horizon approaching AEO?
Bob: We hired people from OpenAI and built Blue GEO, which aggregates tools like Profound and Bluefish to show where you rank, then gives you action items. Answer engines reward recency and relevancy, so you need an explicit content strategy, which can be funded with search budgets.
Mark: Where do creators and social fit in?
Bob: One brand we work with actually merged its social and search practices. The CMO believes managing them together will improve its rankings. If your influencer marketing and paid social have the most recent, relevant content, that’s where answer engines go looking. Honestly, we’re speed-running early search, when nobody knew the algorithms.
Mark: What happens to ad tech middlemen as agents arrive?
Bob: The companies that did matchmaking and took a fee go away. An agent will say, "Here are the audiences you want." The brand says yes, buy them, and everyone else drops out. Ad safety and validation will evolve, but the pure intermediaries will not survive.
Mark: Doesn’t intermediation always find a way to recreate itself?
Bob: The technology is far more accessible now. In the programmatic wave, a brand couldn’t set up a private marketplace itself. It needed a third party. Theoretically, an agent can do that now. So I’m optimistic.
