Stranger Things fans 'spot' ChatGPT in season 5 documentary and they're not happy

Fans are convinced they've caught the Duffer Brothers out... but they're wrong
Cameron Frew
By Cameron Frew

Stranger Things fans have accused the show’s creators of using ChatGPT in season 5, with viewers seemingly spotting its alleged use in a new documentary.

Stranger Things is officially and fully over, and ‘conformity gate’ was a load of nonsense conjured by fans who weren’t prepared to accept the show’s (admittedly divisive) ending.

If that wasn’t clear enough, One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5 (which dropped today, January 12) shows the Duffer Brothers’ emotional and laborious efforts to stick the landing.

However, did this involve the use of ChatGPT? According to some eagle-eyed fans, the answer is yes – but it’s not that simple.

A screenshot showing alleged ChatGPT use in Stranger Things season 5 and the ChatGPT logo
Is this the same logo? (Credit: Netflix/ChatGPT)

Did the Stranger Things creators use ChatGPT for season 5?

There is no evidence of the Duffer Brothers using ChatGPT in the new Stranger Things documentary.

A screenshot from the doc (specifically from the 40:54 mark) shows one of the brothers working on the script for season 5. If you look at his laptop’s screen, you can see multiple tabs; Google Docs, Gmail, and Google Drive are among them.

However, fans have honed in on three tabs with a similar-looking logo to ChatGPT.

If you look at them for longer than a glance, you’ll see that they have blue colouring. ChatGPT’s icon is transparent with black or white outlines, depending on your browser’s settings. So, in short, they’re not using it in that moment from the doc.

That’s not to say they never used it during the making of the season, but it’s worth remembering that ChatGPT has multiple uses beyond generative AI.

In other words, even if they were using it, it wouldn’t necessarily be for writing lines and coming up with story beats. It could be for formatting documents or admin, or any number of other reasons.

It also isn’t a coincidence that many of these accusations have come from fans who wanted ‘Byler’ (the theorized relationship between Will and Mike) to come true.

Eleven hugging her friends in the illustration from the Stranger Things season 5 finale credits
Stranger Things is over… for now (Credit: Netflix)

Stranger Things fans accuse creators of using AI in season 5

Nevertheless, as unfounded as the fans’ claims are, it hasn’t stopped them from posting on social media.

“So they used ChatGPT AND consulted Reddit for the ending of a show like Stranger Things,” one user claimed on X.

In another clip from the doc, a Reddit tab can be seen on a laptop, but it could be literally anything – not a thread of fan theories as that tweet implies.

“ChatGPT wrote Stranger Things s5. I don’t know whether to cry or laugh,” another viewer alleged.

One post highlighting the alleged use of AI has been viewed over 1.2 million times. It also has hundreds of replies aghast over something that doesn’t appear to be true.

As one fan wrote, “Guys, they didn’t ChatGPT the ending. Stop.”

If you’re still unsatisfied with the ending of Stranger Things, don’t worry. Tales from ’85, the franchise’s first spin-off, premieres on Netflix later this year.

You can also still go and watch Stranger Things: The First Shadow on London’s West End (and, maybe, it’ll be released on Netflix one day).

Read more: The 10 most unforgivable Stranger Things plot holes from seasons 1 to 5, including the finale

Stranger Things seasons 1-5 and One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5 are available on Netflix now.