AI deepfakes are a growing problem in fields ranging from pop music to fine arts. On Monday night, the Met Gala red carpet was no exception. After stars began arriving at fashion’s biggest night of the year, multiple images of AI celebrities began circulating online, and in some cases, it was difficult to discern what was real.
The first Monday in May is one of the most anticipated events of the year, bringing out many of the biggest names in entertainment and fashion. And there are always certain stars whose arrival on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York, to celebrate the Costume Institute’s latest exhibition, is especially anticipated. This year, X users capitalized on fans’ excitement at seeing these celebrities, circulating artificially generated images of stars like Katy Perry, Rihanna and Selena Gomez – all of whom, in reality, were not present on the red carpet.
See more information: The Most Innovative Florals at the 2024 Met Gala
Early in the evening, the first AI image that began circulating was of Perry in a floral dress that appeared to be adorned with moss, inspired by the night’s theme, “Sleeping Beauties: The Garden of Time.” The post was uploaded to It was uploaded with the simple caption, “Katy Perry. That’s it” and the Met Gala hashtag.
More AI images of Perry seemingly walking the carpet began to emerge on X. Another image shows an AI version of the singer wearing a corset dress with a vineyard-inspired train and a key breastplate. This post has been viewed over 2 million times and received over 94,000 likes. The singer liked both posts on X.
Rihanna is one of the most sought-after celebrities on the Met Gala red carpet because she always surprises and delights with her looks for the event. But the artist and fashion mogul decided to skip tonight’s festivities, as reported by People. That didn’t stop viewers online from bringing her to the gala, creating AI renderings of what they thought she might wear on the carpet. One user uploaded a photo of Rihanna’s AI creation in a mermaid-style dress with a circular armband featuring an embroidered scene of flora and fauna — undoubtedly a very safe choice given Rihanna’s fashion choices in the past.
Gomez was also artificially dressed for the event, with an AI-generated image of a blue, green and purple dress that resembles a butterfly.
Although all posts have an uncanny valley effect, their accuracy and detail are such that it is not surprising that many online cannot tell the difference. By 10 p.m., the carpet was rolled out and all of the celebrities scheduled to attend the gala had already entered, so it’s safe to assume that any new photos that surface are likely not real. But the night served as a reminder that such images are part of our new online reality, and our ability to discern the fake from the real is a fundamental part of media literacy – at least to the point where it becomes impossible to tell.
This story originally appeared on Time.com read the full story
