Netflix Used AI To Recreate Gabby Petito's Voice In New Docuseries - And People Are PISSED!

Gabby Petito‘s story is back in the spotlight as part of a new Netflix docuseries — but there’s one chilling aspect that viewers are NOT okay with!

In American Murder: Gabby Petito, out on Monday, filmmakers share the 22-year-old’s journal entries and text messages to help paint a picture of what happened in her final days before her murder in 2021. But to do this, they also used an AI voice to recreate her saying it all!

The filmmakers weren’t shy about this controversial use of AI, explaining in a title card in the first episode:

“Gabby Petito’s journal entries and text messages are brought to life in this series in her own voice, using voice recreation technology.”

I'm watching #AmericanMurderGabbyPetito and HOLY SHIT. They've used AI voice recreation to have Gabby Petito reading journal entries and text messages from the last months of her life.

I'm assuming they got permission from the family, but this is a deeply unsettling use of AI. pic.twitter.com/uKd4bIFfBu

— Laura (@editedbylaura) February 17, 2025

Normally, for a situation like this, documentarians might choose to hire an actor to say or even act out things to help bring to life parts of a scandal that weren’t captured IRL. It’s really common — and something they did in this series, such as using a generic blonde woman to reenact some scenes, like Gabby calling her ex-boyfriend. It’s not so common to bring back to life a dead person’s voice!

Taking to X (Twitter) to react to this shocking voice recreation, viewers expressed their disapproval, writing:

“I’m watching #AmericanMurderGabbyPetito and HOLY S**T. They’ve used AI voice recreation to have Gabby Petito reading journal entries and text messages from the last months of her life. I’m assuming they got permission from the family, but this is a deeply unsettling use of AI.”

“Why did they bring Gabby Petito back from the dead with AI in American Murder? Recreating her voice using AI is sooooo messed up”

“The Gabby Petito doc uses AI to recreate her voice. Now this is openly acknowledged but should serve as a warning to people that in the wrong hands this could be a bad thing.”

“That feels kinda icky. Not everything needs to be AI’d”

the ai gabby petito voice in the new documentary?????? deeply uncomfortable why would they do that pic.twitter.com/nQhg33S91j

— allie (@buddieluvr) February 17, 2025

Another user had a lot of opinions, writing in several posts:

“Watching the Gabby Petito doc, absolutely invested… until the part it started using AI to make HER read out her texts and journal entries. That is absolutely NOT okay. She’s a murder victim. You are violating her again. #AmericanMurder”

“I understand they had permission from the parents, but that doesn’t make it feel any better. This woman had her voice taken from her, so to recreate it with a poor substitute – a monotone, lacking in emotion AI model – is an insult to her. There is absolutely no need for it.”

“‘But they’re her words!’ That WE were never supposed to see! So why does ‘SHE’ need to read them to us?”

Watching the Gabby Petito doc, absolutely invested… until the part it started using AI to make HER read out her texts and journal entries. That is absolutely NOT okay. She’s a murder victim. You are violating her again. #AmericanMurder pic.twitter.com/jUH6LigJht

— jodie (@__jodie___) February 17, 2025

FWIW, the filmmakers have said publicly that they got the Petito family’s permission to create the AI voice, which is good. Still, that doesn’t mean people are happy about it! That said, not everyone is against this idea. One Reddit user defended the choice, pointing out:

“About the AI voice, I thought about it while watching. It felt weird in the beginning, but in some other true crime docs they use a random female narrator and I thought it was more fitting to hear them through Gabby’s voice if technology made it possible. But i get the mixed feelings.”

Others on X (Twitter) chimed in:

“I thought it was the best use of AI. Giving a voice to a victim to be able to tell her story is a gift!”

“This is a good use.”

Hmm…

The criticism sure seems to outweigh the support, at least on social media at this point. What do YOU think?? Was this an appropriate use of AI or did it cross the line?? Tell us your opinion (below)!