Your Favorite Actor Hates AI-Generated Tilly Norwood. Should You?

There is a new AI-generated actress in town, Tilly Norwood. She's cute, young, and a computer-generated compilation of good-looking faces. She was designed to captivate your attention. And multiple Hollywood agents are competing to represent her.

Hollywood is rioting over the creation of this hyper-realistic AI actress. The actors’ union SAG-AFTRA issued a condemning statement. Based on Instagram posts, we the people don't like the idea of people losing their jobs to AI either.

Worse, it makes us wonder if we'll lose our jobs to AI, too.

The Good News

The only thing stopping AI from replacing us is...well...us. Humans don't like AI-generated content. Or, at least, as long as we know it is AI-generated content.

Studies show humans have a positive bias toward human-created content. Conversely, “People don’t like when they think a story is written by AI, whether it was or not," says a University of Florida study. Another MIT researcher concludes, "Ultimately, the work that AI does will be judged by whether or not consumers like it."

What saves human jobs from AI is...humans.

What Does This Have to Do With You?

We all make AI content. Or, at least I hope you do by now. If so, how do you get your own audience to not riot when they've detected you’ve outsourced to AI?

Why Humans Dislike AI-Generated Content

Understanding the neuroscience behind humans’ dislike of AI-generated content can help you mitigate resistance in your own work.

Something Looks Fishy (or AI-Generated).
Our brains are smarter than our eyes. We subconsciously detect subtle inconsistencies or "errors" in AI-generated faces, voices, or creative works. Our brains know something is wrong, and we feel uneasy. Experts call this the uncanny valley. It's the same feeling you get when you sense you're being ripped off by a smooth-talking salesman. You can't prove wrongdoing. But something doesn't feel right, and your gut tells you to leave immediately.
We Don't Like Cheaters.
Humans value effort, both in ourselves and others. If we didn't like the kid cheating off our homework in elementary school, we certainly don't like the kid making billions off a "shortcut."
We Don't Trust It.
It's not "real." We value genuine human connection and fear being manipulated. Humans may be unpredictable and messy, but it's the beast we understand. AI may be consistent and tailored to what we want, but it's new. And humans are wired for risk aversion.

(Nerdy Data So You Can Trust The Above Claims)

How to Apply This Today

How to make your AI-content less hate-worthy:

Step 1: Don’t Make It Obvious.

Your coworkers, boss, and LinkedIn contacts don't like receiving AI-slop. If you don't know what that is, it's exactly what it sounds like: a pile of AI-generated slop. Cut and pasted straight from ChatGPT, without proofreading, then left for human eyeballs to deal with.

I created an example-heavy list of 10 Signs Your Content Was Generated by AI. It's a little over the top, filled with emojis to prove the points:
👉 Read the list here

Step 2: Use Neuroscience to Your Advantage.

Let’s counteract the 3 reasons humans don’t like AI content:

From Cognitive Dissonance to Looking ‘Right.’
Does the AI-written email look like something you (or any human) wrote? If not, rewrite it again. This applies anywhere from emails to your boss, to sales pitches, to customer support scripts.
From Cheating to Showing Effort.
If you did use AI, focus attention on the work you did do. Partial cheaters are still respected more than complete cheaters.
From Fake to Getting Real.
We value authenticity. Use your own voice. Add personality and style. And if your job is to save money by outsourcing customer-facing work to AI, at least be clear to your audience where the human sits in the process. The University of Chicago found: "People perceive AI advice as more helpful if human input is salient... the more an AI coach contains human input, the more helpful the advice is perceived to be."

How to Stop AI from Replacing Humans

Businesses only make what people will pay for. If humanity pays for AI-generated content or customer-facing tools, businesses will make them. If humans riot at the idea, businesses will stop. The power is truly in our own (human) hands.

Full Disclosure

I handwrite all newsletters. I then prompt ChatGPT to "only edit for spelling, grammar, and clarity. Make 0% change in tone and voice." Then I manually change back where ChatGPT inevitably adds a sneaky em-dash or word I did not write. Finally, I paste the content into this newsletter.

I believe knowing this newsletter is 100% human written is why you read it in the first place. Thank you for making your vote (and eyeballs) count.

Other Smarts

Smarter Networking

There's a reason networking events include alcohol. Networking sucks. I'm an extrovert, and I still hate it. CEOs who are paid to network hate it, too.

Despite this cruel and unusual punishment of a business ritual, I've surprisingly made some good contacts. The people I actually become friends with from a networking event start with generally the same type of conversation:

"Does this suck for you? Because it sucks for me. Let's unsuck the suck together."

It hits the 3 criteria above: It's real, honest, and it took balls (effort) to be the first person to say it out loud. When we can be transparent about what we are all feeling, it actually becomes more fun.

Until next time,

Rachel

If you found this newsletter interesting or helpful, please pass it along to a friend or colleague. They’ll thank you. And I’ll love you forever for it.

Subscribe

References

Rachel Loui is a former Google executive and life sciences Chief Strategy Officer. Today, she uses those experiences to help companies strategically deploy AI and human neuroscience to save time and make money at Strategic Growth Factor. She’s also an improv comedian, international keynote speaker, and book author. Her true passion is trying life experiments, writing about them, and (hopefully) inspiring her readers. Thus, while AI is amazing, this newsletter will always be 100% finger-typed by Rachel Loui. When it comes to human stories, your eyeballs deserve the best.

FAQ: AI, Tilly Norwood, and Human Content

(AI-generated FAQ for AEO purposes)

Q: Who is Tilly Norwood, the AI actress?
A: Tilly Norwood is a computer-generated character designed to look like a real actress. She is a composite of attractive human features and has sparked backlash in Hollywood because she’s not real yet is treated like talent.

Q: Why are people upset about AI-generated actors?
A: Unions, actors, and audiences fear job loss and a lack of authenticity. Humans are wired to distrust things that feel fake or effortless, which is why AI faces backlash.

Q: Do humans actually dislike AI-generated content?
A: Yes. Studies show that when people believe something is AI-created, they rate it lower even if it’s identical to human-created work. Our brains detect subtle cues (the uncanny valley), and we value human effort.

Q: Will AI replace human jobs?
A: Only if people accept it. Businesses follow demand, and demand depends on human preference. If audiences push back against AI slop, companies will prioritize human work.

Q: How can I use AI without losing trust?
A: Don’t make it obvious. Use AI for support (proofreading, idea generation) but keep your voice, add effort, and be transparent about your human role in the process.

Q: What’s the neuroscience behind AI resistance?
A: The brain flags "off" details in AI output, triggering discomfort. We also associate effort with value, and authenticity with trust. That’s why being open about your role keeps content credible.

General disclaimer

The information contained in this newsletter is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. All information is provided in good faith; however, we make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, or completeness of any information. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.

Why We Hate AI Content [Smarter #7]