EXCLUSIVE : The creator of Tilly Norwood , the AI actress who got Hollywood hot under the collar, has stressed that she was not developed using funding from the British Film Institute ( BFI ).

Eline Van Der Velden, the UK-based technologist, shared a statement with Deadline clarifying how her company, Particle6 , used a grant from the BFI’s UK Global Screen Fund.

Her intervention comes amid concerns in the acting community about the creation of Norwood and how avatars like her could ultimately replace lower profile performers.

Alexa Morden, an actress who hosts The 98% Podcast, spotted the Particle6 grant and said she was alarmed that the BFI could be using “public funding to support creation of technology that literally replaces creatives.”

Van Der Velden said the £120,000 ($

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