The latest Netflix docuseries, “American Murder: Gabby Petito,” is stirring up a pot of controversy deeper than the overpriced soy lattes on Telegraph Avenue. This three-part series dives into the tragic disappearance and death of 22-year-old Gabby Petito, whose story captured the nation’s attention in the fall of 2021 when she and her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, chronicled their road trip through social media. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t end well.

But here’s the kicker, Netflix chose to use artificial intelligence to recreate Gabby’s voice for the film. Let that sink in. While the creators say they got the family’s blessing for this technological leap, viewers are not holding back their thoughts. Social media is ablaze with comments about how unsettling, unnecessary, and frankly just plain creepy it is to hear a digitally constructed version of someone’s voice, especially when that someone is dead.

The opening episode drops this disclaimer that Petito’s journal entries were “brought to life” through voice recreation tech. While filmmakers Julia Willoughby Nason and Michael Gasparro think they’re making a poignant artistic choice, throngs of viewers are rolling their eyes harder than a 90s mom in a crowded fast food drive-thru. Online sentiment casts the move as deeply uncomfortable, with many saying it crosses a moral line. Or, you know, a line that should have never been crossed.

The filmmakers argue that they had rich material from Gabby’s family, journals, texts, videos, you name it. Gasparro mentioned wanting to tell Gabby’s story as authentically as possible. But is this really what she would have wanted? When AI steps in to add an eerily lifelike twist to a tragedy, it raises serious ethical questions.

Experts like Merve Hickok from the Center for AI and Digital Policy weigh in, stating that while using voice recreation technology isn’t outright evil, we need to tread carefully. Especially when it comes to sharing someone’s personal and private moments posthumously. It’s about respect, people.

Gabby’s mom, Nichole Schmidt, candidly expressed discomfort with the AI voice, calling it “weird” and “a little off” but also recognizing the emotional toll it takes to hear her daughter’s story retold, regardless of the medium. It’s a gut punch on so many levels.

As tech continues to blur the lines of ethical storytelling, one has to wonder: do we really need AI to tell our stories, or are we just chasing the digital dragon? Either way, the conversation isn’t over. It’s high time filmmakers take a long, hard look at how they’re narrating our humanity. Let’s hope they do better, or we might just end up tuning out for good.