Netflix (NFLX) is feeling the heat from social media users who are accusing the streaming giant of manipulating images in its popular new true crime documentary “What Jennifer Did.”
The documentary, which was released on Netflix on April 10, is about a woman named Jennifer Pan who was convicted for hiring hitmen to kill her parents in 2010. In the attack, her mother was killed, and her father was injured, and Pan was found guilty of the crime in 2014. She was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years.
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The film, which was produced by Jenny Popplewell, is now being accused of containing images that were manipulated by the use of artificial intelligence to show that Pan was a “happy” and “bubbly” person before she plotted to have her parents murdered.
Shortly after the documentary was released, eagle-eyed social media users spotted some odd details in the images of Pan that were used. In one image, Pan is seen smiling while throwing up peace signs with both of her hands.
When zooming in on the photo, it appears that she is missing a few fingers (her thumb, pinky and ring finger) on her left hand. You can also see in the photo that on her right hand, her pinky and thumb appear to be warped.
AI is infamously known for failing to draw human hands accurately.
In another photo, which shows Pan smiling, her teeth appear uneven with one front tooth being longer than the other. Also, she appears to have an odd dent in her right cheek and has an ear that also appears to be warped.
It is also worth mentioning that the use of AI was not mentioned anywhere in the documentary's credits.
Many social media users on X who spotted the images in question were baffled, with some even prompting for more regulation surrounding the use of AI in films.
Ok, this has officially crossed the line.
— The Moonlight Warrior 🌙 (@BlackMajikMan90) April 18, 2024
Some sort of action needs to be taken.
This is completely unethical.
— Victoria Brownworth (@VABVOX) April 19, 2024
Why would they do this? If she hasn’t any happy, confident photos it says something about her and about her life.
— AicRaj (@AicRaj) April 19, 2024
“What Jennifer Did” is currently the No. 1 film on Netflix and has been viewed by over 18 million people.
Netflix hasn’t been shy about incorporating AI into its platform. The streaming giant uses AI tech such as its machine learning platform, which it has used for almost two decades, to help recommend its content to large audiences.
During Netflix’s most recent earnings call, which discussed its first-quarter earnings for 2024, Netflix Co-CEO Greg Peters revealed that AI presents the opportunity for the company to develop new tools for storytelling.
“We have the opportunity to develop and deliver new tools to creators to allow them to tell their stories in even more compelling ways,” said Peters. “That's great for them. It's great for the stories, and it's great for our members.”
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