Netflix^® Under Fire for Using AI-Generated Images

AI has gained a lot of attention in the last few months. We've all seen quirky, strange, and sometimes even disturbing AI-generated images floating around social media. However, the proliferation of artificial intelligence has not been without controversy. From Scarlett Johanssen's accusations that OpenAI^® stole her voice to Elon Musk's claims that AI will take away all of our jobs, AI has been at the heart of several controversial news stories.

Netflix^® Caught in Controversy

Perhaps one of the strangest is the observation from some true crime fans that Netflix seems to have used AI-generated images in its recent documentary "What Jennifer Did." The documentary tells the story of Jennifer Pan, a young Canadian woman, convicted for hiring hit men to kill her parents in 2010. The documentary sifts through the murky details of the case, exploring why Pan would want to murder her parents in the first place and how she orchestrated the crime.

Funky Fingers and Twisted Teeth

Possibly even stranger than the crime itself are the bizarre images of Pan that appear on screen in the documentary. One image shows Pan smiling and displaying a peace sign to the camera. However, on closer inspection, the fingers are distorted and strange. The thumb and ring finger disappear into a garbled mess on the left hand. The palm is unnaturally long and warped on the right. The image has all the classic signs of an AI image generator – which notably struggles to replicate human hands and faces.

Another image of Pan dancing and smiling also bears the thumbprints of AI manipulation. Her teeth are twisted and overlapping in uncanny ways. The front two teeth are long and narrow while the remaining teeth are a jumbled mess. Pan's smile in this image looks nothing like her smile in other unaltered photos from the same period.

What's the Point?

All of this begs the question: Why would Netflix choose to use AI-generated images in their documentary? Especially photos that are so obviously manipulated. Did they not think the audience would notice? When asked by the Toronto Star about the photos, Executive Producer Jeremy Grimaldi insisted that although the backgrounds were changed, they were real images of Pan.

Police may have solved the case of Pan's parents' attack, but we may never know the truth about these creepy images. According to the Huffington Post, Netflix has yet to comment on the accusations that the images are AI-generated.

References: Netflix True Crime Documentary Accused Of Using Photos Generated Or Manipulated By AI | The Chilling True Story Behind Netflix's 'What Jennifer Did'—Your Questions Answered | No one is safe: Elon Musk predicts AI is coming for all our jobs | Scarlett Johansson says she was 'shocked, angered' when she heard OpenAI's voice that sounded like her