The Biggest Problem With Netflix’s Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam

summary

• Artificial intelligence has been used in
  Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam
  Documentary series that aims to make Lou Pearlman's original words sound as if he spoke them.
• Fans found the AI ​​clips creepy and distracting, leading to negative feedback about their necessity in the documentary series.
• Despite backlash from viewers, the producers defended the use of AI as an additional storytelling tool to capture Perlman's mannerisms.

Fans can't stop talking about it. Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scamthe Netflix A documentary series that chronicles the life and crimes of Lou Pearlman, known for founding famous bands such as Backstreet Boys And *If you areBut there was a lot more to the former talent manager. Pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy, money laundering and making false statements.His web of lies, which included one of the largest Ponzi schemes in American history, was exposed.

The three-part documentary series includes fascinating interviews and archival footage from those who worked with Pearlman, including the boy band members themselves, their former friends, and their associates. But the gripping story is overshadowed by the horrific use of artificial intelligence to replicate Pearlman’s speech and video footage in several scenes.

How AI Was Used in Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam

Near the beginning of the documentary series, Viewers are advised that digitally altered footage of Perlman speaking will appear throughout all three episodes.It's a real video of Perlman, but when his mouth moves, it looks unnatural. That's because he's not saying the words that are actually being spoken. They're being spoken by an actor hired to say the words, while Perlman's image has been edited to make his mouth move with the dialogue.

To be clear, these are Perelman's own words, but they are taken from his writings, excerpts from his book Teams, Brands, and Billionsand someone else said it using old footage of him. Perlman's image makes it look like he's saying those words, when in fact he was saying something completely different in the original footage.

How did it happen? Executive Producer Michael Johnson said, Todom Netflix AI experts from MIT Media Lab, Pinscreen, and Resemble AI were brought in to help execute the vision. The footage has been digitally altered to add a level of authenticity.But the strange lip-syncing and robotic image seemed to be the exact opposite. Many viewers found it downright bizarre.

Since Perlman died in prison in 2016, it was impossible to interview him live (and he likely wouldn’t have agreed to participate anyway). So this strategy seemed to work best. But it didn’t work the way viewers would have liked. Seeing Perlman sitting at a desk, arms folded in front of him, lips moving strangely, gesturing with his hands, or tilting his head in ways that often don’t match the dialogue is undeniably creepy. The words viewers use to describe the AI ​​integration range from annoying to distracting. But more importantly, fans found it unnecessary.

What viewers are saying about the AI ​​in Dirty Pop

Viewers did not hesitate to express their feelings about the use of AI in this documentary series. @Alexis Todd New York The AI-generated audio is “not necessary,” the OnX website said. However, they also added that the presence of AI footage, while unconvincing, points to a bigger problem. “I really hope this doesn’t become a trend,” they said. “We won’t be able to tell what’s real from what’s fake anymore.”

@jessicaline “Whoever decided to make AI Lou Pearlman the narrator of this Netflix documentary Dirty Pop, I hope you step on LEGO. This is embarrassing,” says On X.

@Jerry Rowe OnX says they won't be completing the documentary series because they find the use of AI “disturbing and horrific… It's too distracting! Why do we care? What's the point?”

The conversations even spread to Reddit, where Redditor A_Squash8615 He commented in one thread that this was “in very bad taste,” and Milk Dude740 He described it as “forced AI for the sake of AI.” Sadako1287 He added in the same thread that “AI scared me every time they used it. It really bothered me, if I'm honest.”

Producers defend decision to use AI in dirty pop music

However, the producers defend their decision. When Netflix’s Tudum asked them why they chose to use AI-edited footage of Perlman, Johnson said they made the choice “to push the boundaries of new technology to help tell this incredible story.” He adds that they aimed to use the technology “in the most ethical way possible as an additional storytelling tool, not as a replacement of any kind.” Every word spoken was Perlman’s own, which the producers used while they managed to secure the rights to his life.

Johnson says the idea behind using Perlman’s footage was to “capture his real actions and body language.” He says that using AI to deliver Perlman’s actual words was designed to reflect his distorted reality, which was very different from the reality everyone else experienced.This contrast is essential to understanding Lou as a human being as well as a cunning con man.“Johnson explains,”

Fortunately, footage of the boy band members has been released, along with new interviews with people like Howie Dorough and AJ McLean from Backstreet Boys And Chris Kirkpatrick from *New York, N.C., It was completely unedited, along with other archival footage, which was original. This footage made up most of the documentary series: AI bits were scattered throughout the film.

It was a creative decision to add more to the story.It’s impossible to bring someone back from the dead to interview them for a documentary series, after all. Even some who are still alive don’t want to participate. This happens when producers find other ways to tell the person’s words. It’s common to hear a person’s words or writings narrated by an actor, for example, to help viewers better understand the person. But it would have been better to have a narrator read these passages alongside archival footage of Perlman playing in the background.

Still, we should give the producers some credit for trying to use modern technology in their storytelling. They tried. The response was generally “disgusting,” but it’s not the first time Netflix has been looked down upon for allowing AI into a documentary. what did jennifer doFans were outraged by the belief that artificial intelligence was used to alter or digitally create the images, according to BGR.com.

Producers what did jennifer do The alleged use of AI has not been explicitly disclosed, with executive producer Jeremy Grimaldi saying: Toronto Star The images are indeed real but “any filmmaker would use different tools, like Photoshop, in films.” Photoshop, as tech-savvy individuals know, now offers AI-generated tools as part of the mix, though Grimaldi did not clarify whether the tools used to edit the images include AI. At least with Dirty Pop: The Boy Band ScamThe producers were upfront about the blatant use of AI in this part of the documentary series. But that doesn't make the resulting product any less annoying..

This may just be the beginning. As AI improves, the technology may increasingly appear in documentaries and other types of entertainment. The scariest thing is not the fact that AI could be used more, but the fact that viewers may not even realize it.

When it comes to Dirty Pop: The Boy Band ScamThe AI ​​is presented in such a clear way that if it wasn't He explained that fans would have had a much more enjoyable day. This was not intended to trick viewers or mislead them into believing it was real. However, The intended reaction was negative.Some might think that the AI-generated version of Pearlman muddies the story, but it shouldn’t. As distracting as the AI-generated cuts are, the technology used to tell part of this horrific story isn’t as disturbing as the story itself. flow Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam on Netflix.