Stranger Things fans accuse Duffer Brothers of using ChatGPT after viral screenshot surfaces

"Why is ChatGPT open?" Stranger Things fans spiral after spotting AI in behind-the-scenes footage

Fans question whether AI played a role in the show's finale -- but there's no evidence it did Fans of Stranger Things are once again dissecting every frame tied to the show -- this time not from the Upside Down, but from a behind-the-scenes documentary. A recently released making-of feature has sparked online speculation after viewers noticed what appears to be a ChatGPT tab open on a laptop screen in the background of one shot. The moment, quickly spread across social media, with fans questioning whether generative AI played any role in shaping the show's final season. Screenshots of the moment circulated widely on X and Reddit, prompting reactions ranging from confusion to outright panic. "Why is ChatGPT open?" one fan wrote, while others jumped to conclusions that AI may have been used during the writing or editing process. To be clear, there is no evidence that ChatGPT or any AI tool was used to write or influence Stranger Things. The documentary does not mention AI involvement, and neither Netflix nor the Duffer Brothers has commented on the screenshot or the speculation surrounding it. The frenzy appears to reflect broader anxieties about AI's growing presence in creative industries -- particularly in television and film, where writers and actors have previously raised concerns about automation and authorship. In this case, however, the visible ChatGPT window could have been open for any number of reasons unrelated to the show's creative process. It's important to note, that it is possible to use ChatGPT in the writing process while keeping it authentic. Still, the timing has amplified fan reactions. The Stranger Things finale has already divided viewers, and the idea -- however unproven -- that AI might be involved has only added fuel to the debate. For now, the viral moment remains exactly that: a blink-and-you'll-miss-it background detail, elevated by online speculation rather than confirmed fact. Until Netflix or the show's creators address it directly, the ChatGPT sighting appears to be more internet mystery than creative revelation.

'Stranger Things' fans accuse Duffer Brothers of using ChatGPT to write finale

Stranger Things fans are accusing the Duffer Brothers of using generative AI to write the show's fifth and final season. The speculation arose after viewers believed they spotted AI chatbot ChatGPT open on the creators' laptops in behind-the-scenes documentary One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5. The Stranger Things finale brought the series to an end late last month, wrapping up the popular retro sci-fi show after almost a decade. Unfortunately, the show's conclusion left many viewers dissatisfied, taking to social media to complain that the grand finale felt anticlimactic and unrewarding. Some fans thought they'd found an explanation for their disappointment when One Last Adventure premiered Monday on Netflix. Covering the production and filming of Stranger Things' final season, the documentary featured footage of the Duffer Brothers working on its scripts. This included shots of their laptop screens as they worked on scripts, which displayed multiple tabs open in their internet browsers (apparently Stranger Things was written in Google Docs). While most websites displayed seemed relatively innocuous, one particular shot showed several blurry tabs potentially featuring round monochrome icons. Said tabs are too out of focus to be positively identified, and could easily belong to any number of different websites. Even so, Stranger Things fans quickly began speculating that they may have been ChatGPT icons. The theory was further fuelled by the documentary's revelation that Stranger Things' fifth season hadn't been completely written when production began. While far from a smoking gun, fans considered this a potential indication that generative AI was used to hasten scriptwriting along. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. Responding to fans' speculation, One Last Adventure's director Martina Radwan cast doubt on whether the blurry tabs were actually ChatGPT, and stated that she hadn't seen Stranger Things' writers use generative AI in ways she'd consider unethical. However, she also expressed the belief that it shouldn't matter if the Duffer Brothers did use ChatGPT, as it's fine for creatives to utilise generative AI as a tool. "Well, 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 [ChatGPT] open, to just do quick research?" Radwan said in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter. "[N]obody 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." Despite Radwan's assertions, not everyone agrees. Fans have acknowledged that there is no clear evidence that ChatGPT was used to write Stranger Things' scripts, and that the Duffer Brothers could easily have been using the AI chatbot for other matters (if they were even using it at all). Even so, many also object to the use of generative AI to research, outline, brainstorm, or plan scripts. As such, potentially having ChatGPT open in the same browser being used to write Stranger Things has left viewers suspicious. "Wasn't Season 5 filming delayed because of the WGA strike? That would be pretty ironic, considering that regulating AI is just one of the things the WGA is fighting for," wrote reddit user u/Swordman86. "I cannot for the life of me understand this sudden and enthusiastic desire by people to insert AI into nearly every part of their work and life," u/ Kreol1q1q posted. "Jesus if you are a writer, don't you take pride in the work you do? Why would you let a moronic glorified chatbot into the thing you are skilled at, and valued for." "Even if there were no AI tabs open, the writing for S5 was so bad that in my head-canon they almost exclusively used AI off-screen anyways," said u/pat_the_catdad.

Duffer Brothers Accused of Using ChatGPT for Final Season of "Stranger Things"

Some watchers are wondering why the "Stranger Things" finale didn't live up to expectations and are now blaming OpenAI's ChatGPT. Rumors are running rampant online that Matt and Ross Duffer used OpenAI's ChatGPT when producing the last season of "Stranger Things" after fans zoomed on a still from a behind-the-scenes documentary that appears to show that one of the brothers had the AI chatbot open while working on the script. "WTF man, now we know why season 5 sucked," wrote one upset fan of the show on X-formerly-Twitter in response. Martina Radwan, director of the documentary "One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5," told The Hollywood Reporter in a new interview that she didn't witness anybody using ChatGPT in the tv show writer's room. "No, of course not," she said. "I witnessed creative exchanges. I witnessed conversation." Of course, a person making a hagiographic documentary about the production of the show for Netflix probably isn't the world's most neutral source. And she doesn't quite shut the door on its use, either. "But to me it's like, doesn't everybody have it open, to just do quick research?" she caveated in her hard-to-follow answer to the question. Nonetheless, the online controversy and the interview show that many people who watch original entertainment don't want a whiff of AI around their favorite movies or shows, though some production companies have already made forays into its use, most prominently in "de-aging" actors. Controversies have erupted online when AI use has been unearthed, including its use in tweaking actor Adrien Brody's Hungarian accent in the movie "The Brutalist" and for generating promotional posters for director Alex Garland's movie "Civil War." Viewers and industry experts should expect more of these flashpoints to erupt as Hollywood bigwigs debate whether to use AI. Some are stridently against the tech -- director Guillermo del Toro said he would rather die than use it -- but entertainment giants are rapidly jumping on board. Disney, for instance, recently signed a $1 billion licensing deal with OpenAI, which will allow users to play with Disney-owned characters in OpenAI's video generator Sora. The debate is far from over, though. Big tech has already eaten journalism's lunch -- and perhaps Hollywood is next on the menu.

Stranger Things creators accused of using AI to write series finale

Stranger Things fans are accusing the Duffer Brothers of using ChatGPT to write the divisive show finale, following a now viral screenshot from Netflix's behind-the-scenes documentary. Ever since the series finale of Stranger Things dropped on Netflix, fans have been divided between accepting a satisfactory finale or grabbing their pitchforks and crying foul. Some thought that a secret episode - dubbed 'Conformity Gate' - existed and would drop on 7 January. That turned out to be wishful thinking, spawned out of frustration that the controversial finale felt unrewarding, riddled with plot holes and let the show down. Now, even more backlash is being levelled against the show, as eagle-eyed viewers have noticed some suspicious open browsers in the Season 5 behind-the-scenes documentary, Stranger Things: One Last Adventure. In one clip, series creators Matt and Ross Duffer are seen writing the final episode, "The Rightside Up", in a Google Doc, and fans allege they can see them using ChatGPT. There's no cast-iron evidence the Duffer brothers used generative AI while writing, and Martina Radwan, the director of Stranger Things: One Last Adventure, told The Hollywood Reporter that she didn't see anyone using ChatGPT in the writers' room. She added: "What I find heartbreaking is everybody loves the show, and suddenly we need to pick it apart." However, the screenshot has been circulating online, going viral and proving to be something of a lightning rod for already jilted fans. The show's subreddit, r/StrangerThings, seems to be split, with many seeing this as a betrayal and others defending the creative team by saying that the screenshot is inconclusive. Check out some of the reactions below: All five seasons of Stranger Things, as well as Stranger Things: One Last Adventure, are now streaming on Netflix.

After A Controversial Last Season Of "Stranger Things," Fans Think They Found Proof That The Creators Used AI In The Writers' Room

The documentary has also sparked major rumours that the Stranger Things team was using ChatGPT in the writers' room. Some fans are going as far as to allege that the whole season was written by AI. And it's all because of this one screenshot of a writer's laptop from the documentary, where people think they can see ChatGPT tabs open. In another screenshot, we can also see a Reddit tab open. The Great Duffer brother used Chatgpt to write Stranger Things Season 5. WTF man 😡😡😡, now we know why season 5 sucked.#StrangerThings5 pic.twitter.com/TgjiHv7QN2 -- Vicky Shinde (@iamshinde83) January 12, 2026

Did Stranger Things creators use ChatGPT to develop the final season? Anatomy of an uproar

ChatGPT sighting ignites backlash over Stranger Things season five ending It was intended as a victory lap. On January 12, Netflix released One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5, a documentary chronicling the chaotic production of the sci-fi juggernaut's final season. Instead, a split-second shot of a laptop screen has overshadowed the release, sparking a viral controversy about the role of AI in the show's writing. The controversy centers on a scene showing the Duffer Brothers, Matt and Ross, racing to finish the script for the series finale ("The Rightside Up"). In the high-res footage, eagle-eyed viewers spotted a browser window with three tabs displaying the distinctive ChatGPT logo, nestled alongside Reddit and Google Docs. Within hours, screenshots hit X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok, acting as a lightning rod for fans already frustrated by the finale, which aired on New Year's Eve. Critics had labeled the ending "rushed" and "incomplete," and the visible tabs offered a convenient explanation: the creators had outsourced their closing act to an algorithm. Also read: Apple Creator Studio vs. Adobe Creative Cloud: Which creative bundle is best for you? The debate quickly moved to the show's subreddit, r/StrangerThings, splitting the community between those who saw a betrayal and those who saw a standard workflow. A user asked in a rapidly growing thread, "Why would you let a moronic glorified chatbot into the thing you are skilled at, and valued for?" Others argued the "evidence" was merely confirmation bias from disappointed viewers. "I think it's just easy to believe it was AI cause the finale was not that great," wrote one. "i personally don't believe it. AI could have written a more cohesive plot than whatever S5 was" Also read: Optical Illusions: Why AI models are succumbing to the same tricks we do Some attempted to find a middle ground, noting that while using AI for dialogue is "wrong," the screenshot itself was inconclusive. "People refusing to acknowledge that they might not have used it is so weird," they noted, suggesting the tabs could have been used for basic research or synonym checks rather than generating plot points. The documentary's director, Martina Radwan, addressed the fervor in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter yesterday. She denied witnessing any AI generation during her time in the writers' room, characterizing the process as deeply human. "No, of course not," Radwan said when asked if the brothers used AI to write the script. "I witnessed creative exchanges. I witnessed conversation... People think 'writers room' means people are sitting there writing. No, it's a creative exchange." She contextualized the open tabs as part of the digital clutter of modern multitasking, similar to having a phone on the table. "What I find heartbreaking," she added, "is everybody loves the show, and suddenly we need to pick it apart." Whether the tabs were used to generate dialogue or simply to look up 1980s trivia, the damage to the season's legacy may already be done. For a show built on nostalgia, Stranger Things now finds itself inextricably linked to the anxieties of the future.