‘Stranger Things’ documentary director addresses ChatGPT fan theories

The director of Netflix’s Stranger Things documentary has fined addressed online speculation that the show’s creators used ChatGPT while writing the final season.

Martina Radwan, who directed One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5, recently sat down with The Hollywood Reporter where she claimed that AI use are based on assumptions, not facts.

The rumors began after fans spotted what they believed to be a ChatGPT tab open on one of the Duffer brothers’ laptops in a brief clip from the documentary.

“There’s a lot of chatter where [social media users] are like, ‘We don’t really know, but we’re assuming.’ But to me, it’s like, doesn’t everybody have it open, to just do quick research?” Radwan said.

She further added, “Nobody has actually proved that it was open. That’s like having your iPhone next to your computer while you’re writing a story. We just use these tools … while multitasking. So there’s a lot going on all the time, every time.”

Martina Radwan called the reaction “heartbreaking,” saying fans who love the series are now trying to “pick it apart.” She also firmly denied witnessing any unethical use of generative AI in the writers room, stressing that the space is about collaboration and story development rather than typing scripts line by line

“No, of course not. I witnessed creative exchanges. I witnessed conversation. People think ‘writers’ room’ means people are sitting there writing. No, it’s a creative exchange. It’s story development,” she added.

Martina Radwan further added, “I think being in the writers’ room is such a privilege and such a gift to be able to witness that.”

One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5 and all five seasons of Stranger Things are now streaming on Netflix.