5 Streaming Shows 'Caught' Using Generative AI

Despite the successful Hollywood strike last year against studios replacing human workers with AI, many producers are still being "caught" using the technology for their shows.

Since then, several shows on streaming services have been noted to use generative AI as part of the production. Here are just some of the notable ones:

Special mentions to "Late Night with the Devil" and A24's promotional materials for "Civil War" for using AI-generated images, as pointed out by several users online.

'What Jennifer Did'

Most recent case of a producer using generative AI without crediting it was with Netflix's true-crime documentary, "What Jennifer Did."

Released on April 10, many watchers instantly noticed several irregularities in the pictures depicting the Canadian Jennifer Pan before she was convicted for her mother, alterations consistent with AI-generated images.

For example, Jennifer's pictures feature misshapen facial figures like ears and teeth, as well as incoherent details of background items.

The show's producer Jeremy Grimaldi has since clarified that the pictures were indeed real, although the background "has been anonymized to protect the source" with the use of editing software during post-production.

'True Detective: Night Country'

Prior to controversies revolving around "What Jennifer Did," HBO's "True Detective: Night Country," the fourth season of the American anthology crime drama, came under fire for supposedly using AI-generated image for one of its episode's posters.

Producer Issa López later defended the use of AI on the poster as a supposed metacommentary, claiming that the "idea is that it's so sad up there that some kid with AI made the posters for a loser Metal festival for boomers."

It is especially ironic after HBO chief Casey Bloy told The Hollywood Reporter to never let generative AI become involved with the production of his shows.

'Secret Invasion'

Marvel and Disney, over the past years, have been notorious for overworking their visual effects team as they roll out movie after movie each year.

The issue comes to a boil with the release of "Secret Invasion" last year, a Disney+ miniseries revolving around Samuel L. Jackson's character "Nick Fury" as part of Marvel's so-called "Phase 4" titles.

Many watchers immediately noticed that the show used generative AI on the series' opening scene, which was later confirmed by showrunner Ali Salim to Polygon.

According to Salim, they reached out to AI vendors because "it just came right out of the shape-shifting, Skrull world identity." Skrulls refer to an alien race who can imitate other people's looks to infiltrate civilizations.

Many full-time and part-time VFX workers under the Marvel division have since unionized following the controversy to fight against threats of work abuse and AI replacement.

'Qianqiu Shisong'

Unlike previous cases, the use of generative AI in the Chinese cartoon show "Qianqiu Shisong" is more blatant.

Made using OpenAI's text-to-video generator Sora, state broadcaster China Media Group piloted the 26-episode show on local channels last February to showcase the advancements of the AI technology.

The show received minimal attention outside of China and was not blasted by the same criticisms as the other shows.

'Lyla in the Loop'

Rather than using image-generating AIs for its show, PBS announced that it will be integrating an AI chatbot into its new kids animated series, "Lyla in the Loop."

The intention for using AI? The American channel wants to bring a more interactive show for children where the characters can directly talk with the viewers, a supposed improvement from the fourth wall breaking common in "Dora the Explorer" or "Blue's Clues."

The whole show was presented as an "experimentation" of sorts to see how the technology could be integrated into educational entertainment.

Aside from the AI-assisted interaction, the show was made with genuine human animators and actors.

"Lyla in the Loop" first premiered on Feb. 5, with a relative acceptance to both young and older audiences.