Netflix Sparks Outrage with AI Voice of Gabby Petito in True Crime Documentary

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Last year in 2021, the tragic murder of Gabby Petito gripped the nation, and since then, various documentaries and series have been produced to retell the events leading up to her death at the hands of her fiancé, Brian Laundrie. Netflix has also joined the bandwagon with their latest true crime docuseries titled “American Murder: Gabby Petito,” created by filmmakers Julia Willoughby Nason and Michael Gasparro. The series has resurfaced the social media discussions around Petito’s case, but it’s facing criticism for using AI technology to simulate her voice.

In an interview with US Weekly, Nason and Gasparro talked about the process behind their latest documentary series. This follows a successful run of productions such as LuLaRich (2021), Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal (2023), and Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets (2023). The pair explained that the choice to use AI technology to mimic Gabby Petito’s voice for her diary entries, allowing listeners to hear her in her own voice, was not taken lightly. Gasparro stated, “We sought permission from the family first and then worked meticulously to present it as it was written.

That allowed you to hear it through her own words.

21 minutes into the initial episode of the three-part documentary series, you’ll encounter a statement: “The journal entries and texts from Gabby Petito are vividly portrayed using voice recreation technology, in what seems like her actual voice.” Yet, despite this innovative approach, it can feel disconcerting to listen to Petito’s voice, as it appears somewhat empty or devoid of genuine human emotion – similar to when Siri attempts to convey feelings, but lacks the capacity to truly understand them.

Social Media Reacts to Gabby Petito’s AI Recreation

It might have been more appropriate for the message to clarify that Gabby Petito’s voice was artificially generated with the explicit consent of her family, given the strong reactions from social media users who find it distressing to hear the voice of a deceased individual. For instance, @__jodie___ on X commented, “I was really into the Gabby Petito documentary… until they started using AI to make her read out her texts and journal entries.” This person further expressed their disapproval by saying, “That is absolutely NOT okay. She’s a murder victim. You are violating her again.

@Superchair14″ expressed surprise and disapproval in the following way: “Wow, this AI-generated voiceover of Gabby Petito reading her own diary is a truly chilling creative choice.” Meanwhile, “@sisterbiscuit_” added to the criticism by saying: “Nason and Gasparro are facing even more criticism for it.

The Gabby Petito Netflix documentary, where AI voices over her texts suggesting abuse she experienced before her death, is arguably one of the most appalling and inhumane productions I’ve encountered.

Apart from getting authorization to employ AI for replicating Gabby Petito’s voice, Gasparro also disclosed they possessed a wealth of material, generously supplied by her parents, such as all her diaries dating back to when she was young. In essence, our aim was to narrate the story predominantly from Gabby’s perspective. After all, it is her narrative that we sought to convey. He concluded by saying this.

Currently, you have the opportunity to listen to a chilling reenactment of Gabby Petito’s voice in the series “American Murder: The Investigation of Gabby Petito“, which is available for streaming on Netflix.

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2025-02-19 20:35