In the most recent months of 2023, AI has been at the forefront of conversations. Whether it has been in lecture halls and the acts of plagiarism that can come with it, scientific progress of integrating AI into everyday life, or the morbid curiosity of the potential future. However you may think of AI, it has become a phenomenon through the latest technology and is slowly morphing into a new sense of normalcy in everyday life. We already have instances of it. With every iPhone, there is Siri. With every Amazon account, there is Alexa. There’s even an AI helper that comes with Google. AI has been surrounding all of us in our remedial lives. It’s up to us to have a conversation about it.
Now, there have been some fascinating videos that I have come across on Tiktok. For the few collectives who have no idea what TikTok does, it shows related videos that someone would like through a curated algorithm. I’ll use mine as an example. I enjoy true crime. I am a crime junkie in that sense. After all, I am in a major that specializes in that field. I also have a curious bone when it comes to AI. I find it entertaining to watch, and I have even partaken in it out of boredom. Over time, those two aspects have combined into something odd and morbid, but they are videos I can’t look away from. They are videos of murderers telling their stories but with AI voices and art.
In the videos, the concept is straightforward. The AI models of the murderers talk about their murders, their motives (if there are any), their punishment, and some neutral yet personal opinions on the matter. Some accounts are dedicated to this topic. The account @/thecreepfactor on Tiktok was the one that I found. Their videos vary from people like Aileen Wuornos to Gypsy Rose Blanchard. All of the videos come with strangely detailed portraits and unsettling voice audio. Even though the audio isn’t the voice of the murderers, it has a strange level of connection that makes the story they tell even more haunting.
I think this type of media is something that should be delved into. Multi-million dollar Netflix interpretations, half-baked podcasts, and low-budget television shows have a clear motive of who they are trying to get sympathy for or the biggest reaction. This way of communicating stories, and short videos that tell the crime while adding some level of connection through the AI. Is it ethical? Depends. Is it interesting? Most definitely.
In my opinion, this usage of AI is not unethical. I believe this usage of AI is to express their stories, and it is a way to gain insight on the mind of a murderer. Viewers can be more aware and cautious of their personal lives through the AI videos on TikTok. It allows viewers to become more aware of social cues when interacting with others.
In my opinion, this usage of AI is not unethical. I view this usage as a way to spread awareness about the stories of victims to prevent the same incidents from happening in the future. It can also be used as a way for viewers to be more cautious with their daily life. With the use of AI portraying the victims, it can also lead to a sense of compassion for the victim through those who watch, for example, the Tiktok videos.
From what I understand based on this article I fail to see how this is unethical. Discussion of crime is a very common part of society, and using AI to do so doesn’t seem that far removed from the norm. Of course, if this technology is being used to romanticize the crimes committed or excuse their behavior, that is another matter. As long as they are treating the material in a respectful manner, I see no ethical issue with using AI to add visual and auditory aspects to crime stories
I personally think that while, because of free speech, these people can do whatever they want with AI as long as it isn’t breaking any laws or physically harming real people. However, I also think that this is definitely unethical and a very irresponsible and disrespectful use of this technology. These aren’t fictional characters that are part of a scary story, these are real people who ruined lives and tore apart families, and the thought of someone willingly wanting to engage in conversation with them is concerning.