Recently, Netflix has sparked widespread controversy for using AI to reproduce the voice of late social media influencer Gabi Petito in its newly launched true crime documentary "Murder in the United States: Gabi Petito". Gaby was murdered by his fiancé Brian Lauderry in August 2021, which deeply saddened the public. At the beginning of the documentary, viewers noticed a prompt that Petito's diary and text messages would be interpreted in her voice through voice reproduction techniques.
This artistic choice has sparked a strong response from the audience, and many people express their uneasiness. "I was always engaged until I saw AI let her text and diary be read out, which was really inappropriate. She was a murder victim and this practice made me feel violated again." Another viewer also said: "Her voice was deprived and using this emotionally lacking AI voice instead was an insult."
It is worth noting that Petito's parents gave a lot of support during the production of this documentary. Producer Michael Gasparo said they obtained a lot of Gaby’s material, including her diary and written records since she was a child. He mentioned: "We want to tell all this through Gabi's story as much as possible." However, despite the consent of the family, many viewers remained dissatisfied with this, believing that such an approach is not only uncomfortable, but also morally controversial.
On social media, many users have expressed concerns about the use of this technology. One netizen commented: "Although they have obtained the consent of their families, it does not make people feel comfortable. The sounds synthesized by AI cannot truly convey her emotions and tone, which makes me feel disgusted." Another netizen pointed out that this practice may set a bad precedent for future documentaries.
In fact, it is not the first time Netflix has used AI technology in a real-life crime documentary. Last year, some media discovered that the platform used obvious AI-generated images in a documentary about murder conspiracy. Despite the increasing popularity of technology, viewers remain vigilant about its use. The production team insisted that they did not cause harm to Petito's story, but instead hoped to present the story more realistically through her perspective.
Key points:
Netflix uses AI in the new documentary to reproduce Gabi Petito's voice, causing intense controversy.
The audience expressed strong dissatisfaction with the viewer’s belief that using AI synthesized sounds violated the dignity of the victims.
The production team said the use of AI is designed to convey the victim’s stories more realistically and has received support from families.