The Investigation of Lucy Letby has landed on Netflix — but instead of sparking debate solely around the case, the documentary has ignited backlash for another reason entirely.
Letby, a former neonatal nurse, is currently serving a whole life sentence for the murders of seven babies and the attempted murder of seven others.
The new documentary revisits the events leading up to her arrest and conviction, while also examining growing claims from some experts that a miscarriage of justice may have occurred.
However, two key interviews have quickly become the most controversial part of the film.
Did Netflix use AI to anonymise interviewees in Lucy Letby doc?
Yes, Netflix used AI to digitally alter the appearance of two people in The Investigation of Lucy Letby.
The documentary opens with a disclaimer stating that some contributors have been “digitally disguised” to protect their identities.
“Their names, appearances, and voices have been altered,” it reads.
Typically, anonymisation in documentaries involves silhouettes, blurred faces, heavy voice distortion, or actors recreating testimony. The Investigation of Lucy Letby takes a different approach entirely.
Two contributors – Sarah, the mother of one of Letby’s victims, and Maisie, a former university friend of Letby – appear on screen with digital faces. Their faces move, blink, and emote, but do not resemble real footage.
Netflix does not explicitly state that AI was used in the credits, which several digital imaging technicians. However, Netflix has since confirmed that the process involved AI.
Their faces have a polished, synthetic quality that viewers have compared to AI avatars.
Viewers slam Lucy Letby documentary for ‘AI slop’
Reaction online has been swift and overwhelmingly negative.
Many viewers say the digital anonymisation is so distracting that it pulls focus away from the testimony itself.
“I’m sorry, but is the AI in the documentary throwing others off? It definitely is for me, so annoying when it comes up. I can’t focus on anything else,” one viewer wrote. “It’s deeply unsettling,” another added.
Others questioned why Netflix chose such a controversial method at all, especially given the sensitivity of the subject matter.
“Not sure yet what to make of the decision in the Lucy Letby Netflix documentary to anonymise contributors by covering their faces with fake AI faces,” one viewer wrote.
Several posts point to scenes where old photographs are shown on screen, but Maisie’s face has been digitally altered within the image – a choice some viewers have described as “grotesque” and “unnecessary”.
“I think it’s such a weird decision, but one of a kind we’ll have to wrestle with more and more,” another user theorised.
Criticism has extended beyond social media. The Standard described the approach as a “morally egregious” use of AI.
Read more: Doctor who worked with baby killer Lucy Letby lives with ‘tiny guilt’ she could be innocent
The Investigation of Lucy Letby is streaming on Netflix now.
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