Investigation Discovery has greenlit "Unmasking A Monster: Aileen Wuornos," a three-part true-crime docuseries that uses AI-driven digital replication to recreate the late serial killer for the screen. The series marks a rare and notable use of this technology in documentary filmmaking, going beyond conventional dramatisation to digitally layer a computer-generated likeness of Wuornos over an actress's live performance, raising questions about how far AI reconstruction can and should be used to portray real, deceased individuals in factual storytelling.

Produced by Arrow Media, the team spent three years filming actor Morag Peacock to build the data needed for the visual effects, having modelled Wuornos in three dimensions using archival photographs and video, which was then applied as a "mask" over Peacock's voice and movements. Wuornos, who murdered seven men in Florida in 1989-90 and was executed in 2002, was previously portrayed by Charlize Theron in the Oscar-winning film "Monster"; producers say they informed victims' families and others connected to the case before proceeding, and the series premieres on ID on 30 September.