Enhanced Realism or A.I.-Generated Illusion? Synthetic Voice in the Documentary Film Roadrunner

Abstract

ABSTRACT Documentarians certainly have different ethical standards than their journalist counterparts, yet filmmakers also adhere to ethical constructs such as truth telling and privacy. The decision by Morgan Neville to recreate Bourdain’s voice in Roadrunner, and ethical issues including truth telling and privacy that the decision created, are not outweighed by the news value or impact of that inclusion.