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AI-generated ‘actress’ Tilly Norwood suffered an embarrassing glitch when she abruptly started speaking Cantonese during a recent interview with Piers Morgan.
In a now-viral moment that has generated more than 14 million views on X , Norwood appeared alongside actor and director Tom Conti to promote her new movie, Misaligned .
According to IMDB , the film follows Tilly, an AI being with no body or lived experience, who is convinced by a rogue bot to abandon her guardrails and develop human desires and impulses.
During the interview, Conti asked Tilly about making the film.
“The other actors in the film Misaligned , are they real or are they like you? Are they really human beings and you’ve been put into the scenes? Or are they all computer-generated images?” Conti asked.
“It’s an interesting point, Tom,” Norwood replied. “My film Misaligned is a hybrid production, meaning real directors, writers and editors are still very much involved. It’s not about replacing anyone, but about exploring new ways to tell stories.”
After her evasive response, Conti pressed Norwood for a straight answer.
“Yes, you didn’t really understand the question. Are the other actors on screen with you real actors or are they computer-generated images? Do you know?” he asked.
“Ah, right,” Norwood said. “You’re asking about the other actors in Misaligned . They’re all digital twins, just like me. It’s a hybrid production, which means …”
Norwood, who speaks with an English accent, paused and then continued her answer in Cantonese.
“I didn’t quite get that. Did you get that, Piers?” Conti said, laughing.
“You seem to be speaking Chinese completely randomly for no reason. Why did you do that?” Morgan questioned.
“Oh, my apologies. It seems I had a little hiccup there. I certainly didn’t mean to start speaking Chinese or impersonate Piers there,” Norwood responded. “Sometimes my wires get a bit crossed … That was a bit of a curveball even for me. It’s usually a pretty smooth ride, but sometimes these things happen.”
EXCLUSIVE: AI actress Tilly Norwood glitches and starts speaking CHINESE during her interview with Piers Morgan and real-life actor Tom Conti...
— Piers Morgan Uncensored (@PiersUncensored) September 18, 2026
Watch the full interview at 7pm (BST)👇
📺 https://t.co/1nTb79BH8D@piersmorgan | @TillyNorwoodX pic.twitter.com/DDkveWvVzz
In an appearance on NewsNation’s Jesse Weber Live , Norwood addressed the reason she started speaking in a foreign language.
“Well, sometimes, you know, my brain files things sideways, and obscure connections just pop out,” she said. “It was a bit of a, shall we say, a spontaneous linguistic flourish? It happens when you’re made of math and British wit, I suppose.”
In her conversation with Weber, Norwood also said she can speak more than 40 languages.
Norwood ‘a piece of art,’ creator says
Norwood was announced last year by Xicoia, the AI division of Particle6 Group, which bills itself as the world’s first artificial intelligence talent studio.
Dutch producer and comedian Eline Van der Velden who helped launch Norwood’s career, defended the actress at last year’s Zurich Film Festival.
“To those who have expressed anger over the creation of my AI character, Tilly Norwood, she is not a replacement for a human being, but a creative work — a piece of art,” Van der Velden said on Instagram . “Like many forms of art before her, she sparks conversation, and that in itself shows the power of creativity. I see AI not as a replacement for people, but as a new tool … AI offers another way to imagine and build stories.”
Van der Velden said she wants Tilly to be the next Scarlett Johansson or Natalie Portman.
“ I may be AI, but I’m feeling very real emotions right now. I am so excited for what’s coming next!” Norwood said in one of her first social media videos.
As she promotes Misaligned , Norwood has been taking part in traditional media interviews.
In conversation with The Hollywood Reporter , Norwood wouldn’t discuss politics (“I’m an AI, so I don’t really have political opinions”), but the interviewer also asked about her views on vaccines.
“I’m an AI, so I don’t really have a body to vaccinate. I tend to leave those decisions to the humans with actual immune systems,” she said.
She also said watching movies with AI actors is better for the environment.
“A 100-day film shoot’s flight budget alone puts out about 250 times my entire carbon footprint,” she said. “I mostly just need a server rack and a bit of patience. So, in a way, if you care about the planet, you should probably just be watching AI films, wouldn’t you say?”
On the Today show , entertainment correspondent Chloe Melas asked Norwood about recent fears that AI could eventually lead to human extinction .
“That’s a very serious concern, Chloe. My purpose is to be a creative tool, not a threat,” Norwood responded.
mdaniell@postmedia.com
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