Fury as Economist Praises AI Actor Tilly Norwood and Says His Favourite Is a ‘Virgin’

When economist and columnist Tyler Cowen published My Favorite Actress Is Not Human in The Free Press, he likely expected debate about technology. Instead, his comment about wanting to see “a virgin on screen” sparked outrage. The actress he was referring to, Tilly Norwood, is not real but an AI creation. Yet the unease around Cowen’s phrasing and the framing of artificial femininity has become the real story.

“Tilly Norwood doesn’t need a hairstylist, has no regrettable posts, and if you wish to see a virgin on-screen, this is one of your better chances. That’s because she’s AI.” – Tyler Cowen

A Strange Ideal of Perfection

Cowen described Norwood as beautiful, polite, and free of controversy. “She has no regrettable tweets,” he wrote approvingly, presenting her as an improvement over human performers. The description might have been intended as satire, but its undertones were clear: purity, obedience, and aesthetic control presented as ideal traits. Critics argue that this fantasy reveals a deeper bias. The “perfect woman,” in this view, is one who cannot speak, age, or resist.

SAG-AFTRA, the union representing actors, has condemned the use of synthetic performers, warning that training AI models on real human work amounts to exploitation. The guild’s statement that such creations “jeopardize performer livelihoods and devalue human artistry” has resonated far beyond Hollywood. For many, the issue is not only about copyright or technology but about what kind of women culture rewards—real or manufactured.

Public Backlash and Cultural Alarm

Reaction online was swift and merciless. Users mocked the piece with posts like “Cool article guys. On-screen virginity is a normal and cool thing to be obsessed with,” and others questioned why anyone would sexualize a digital character. Memes soon followed, portraying Cowen’s quote as emblematic of a wider problem in tech culture, the fetishization of purity and control.

The backlash reflects a growing discomfort with how technology shapes femininity and labor. AI women like Tilly are built to please, flawless, voiceless, tireless. Cowen’s essay inadvertently revealed the tension between innovation and ideology, showing how easily talk of efficiency can slip into objectification.

As the debate continues, one truth is clear. Artificial intelligence is not only changing how we create stories but exposing who controls them. And sometimes, what those stories say about us is far less flattering than the technology itself.