This article contains mentions of abuse, domestic violence, murder, and violence against women.

Netflix’s newtrue crime documentary,American Murder: Gabby Petito, uses artificial intelligence to recreate Petito’s voice as a narrative tool, but the creative decision feels wrong and unnerving.American Murder: Gabby Petitoextensively covers Petito’s tragic disappearance and murder, interviewing her family, friends, and law enforcement who worked her case. Netflix’s documentary exploreswhat really happened to Gabby Petito, from her last days traveling in her van to her sudden disappearance to the discovery of her remains. In creating this docuseries, Netflix utilized various tools to bring Petito’s story to life.

The tools Netflix used inAmerican Murder: Gabby Petitoinclude photographs, video footage, interviews, maps, and writing excerpts. These excerpts come from multiple sources, includingBrian Laundrie’s mother’s “Burn After Reading” letter, the notes investigators found with Laundrie’s remains, and Gabby Petito’s diary entries. Including Petito’s writings inAmerican Murder: Gabby Petitoundoubtedly contributes to painting a better picture of her life and relationship with Laundrie. However, in a controversial decision, Netflix showcased excerpts from Petito’s diary through an AI-generated tool, recreating Gabby Petito’s voice to narrate her writing.

Netflix used artificial intelligence to recreate Gabby Petito’s voice so she could narrate her own thoughts from her diary. Although Petito’s family gave permission (viaUS Weekly), it is still a daunting decision to begin with.Gabby Petito cannot officially give permission to recreate her voice, even though there are no ill intentions. Directors Julia Willoughby Nason and Michael Gasparro stood by their decision when they spoke toUS Weekly, insisting that, “At the end of the day, we wanted to tell the story as much through Gabby as possible. It’s her story.”

Despite the genuine motive and the disclaimer in the first episode, the use of artificial intelligence to recreate Petito’s voice still establishes an ethical dilemma. This decision sparked a debate across multiple social media platforms, complicated by the fact that Petito’s family gave the directors their blessing. Brian Laundrie tragically murdered Gabby Petito and took away her voice. If Petito is not here to give her consent, then she has no say in who tells her story or how someone tells her story.It is a violation of her agency, similar to how Laundrie did so by killing her.

It Would Feel Wrong For Anyone Else To Speak For Gabby Petito

On the flip side, it would still feel wrong if Netflix had decided to find a real person to narrate Gabby Petito’s words. Ultimately, these are excerpts from Petito’s diary, andhearing a random stranger speak her thoughts would seem insincere. Julia Willoughby Nason and Michael Gasparro have repeatedly stated thatAmerican Murder: Gabby Petitois, first and foremost, Petito’s story, but that objective might fall a little flat if someone with no connection to Gabby Petito narrated her innermost thoughts. Although Gabby Petito is no longer here, she deserves her own voice to be heard.

Of course, the directors ofAmerican Murder: Gabby Petitocould have recruited one of Petito’s family members to read her diary, such as her mother, father, or maybe one of her stepparents. However, there is no guarantee that they would feel comfortable doing so. Furthermore, they might be unable to hold it together when reading their daughter’s diary, understandably so. At this point,Gabby Petito’s family has the final say on this issue. Therefore, it seems that recreating Petito’s voice to tell her own story was the best route for this documentary, even if it was not the greatest idea.

Gabby Petito’s AI Voice Recreation Being Unnerving Fits The Documentary’s Unsettling Tone

The Discomfort Fits The Reality Of Gabby Petito’s Murder

American Murder: Gabby Petitoutilizing AI to allow Petito to narrate her own words ultimately fits the documentary’s disquieting tone. This documentary is an in-depth exploration of Gabby Petito’s life and the abuse she endured at Brian Laundrie’s hands, which ultimately killed her.American Murder: Gabby Petitoshould make people feel uncomfortable while watching—it reinforces the fact that Gabby Petito was a real person with a real life that was taken away against her will.Gabby Petito was only 22 years old when she died, and the artificial intelligence tool captures the heartbreaking reality of how young she was.

It is important to support victims of abuse and tell their stories when they are unable to do so themselves.

Nobody should ever forget Gabby Petito’s story. Hearing her voice—despite being AI-generated—is a critical reminder that people endure domestic violence every day, andPetito’s tragic death is one of many more. It is important to support victims of abuse and tell their stories when they are unable to do so themselves. Domestic violence is a serious issue that needs to be further addressed, and hearing Gabby Petito’s voice inAmerican Murder: Gabby Petitois an enduring reminder to work to end abuse—for Gabby Petito and countless other victims who did not survive their own stories.