The Met Gala, an annual fundraising event for the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Fresh York, is known for celebrities dressed in sometimes dazzling, other times highly absurd outfits that are occasionally accompanied by controversy. However, yesterday’s edition of the 2024 gala will be remembered not only for the wonderful fashion shows, but also for the unexpected guest who stole the show: artificial intelligence (AI).
As the red carpet rolled out and celebrities began arriving at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, social media platforms were flooded with photos of attendees’ stunning outfits. However, a few photos stood out in the sea of photos for all the wrong reasons. These weren’t photos of actual participants, but rather AI-generated images of celebrities in fantastic, themed ensembles. Katy Perry, Rihanna and Dua Lipa, all dressed in extravagant dresses, started circulating on social media, but these were not real. Instead, they were generated using artificial intelligence.
AI deepfake even fooled Katy Perry’s own mother
One of the most viral photos of the night was an AI-generated photo of Katy Perry wearing a moss-trimmed floral gown that seemed to fit perfectly with the event’s theme, “Sleeping Beauties: The Garden of Time.” The photo, posted on X (formerly Twitter) with the caption “Katy Perry. That’s it” gained over 288,000 likes and over 9 million views in a matter of hours.
The photo was so convincing that even Perry’s mother was fooled and sent her daughter a text message of congratulations: “Ha Feather! I didn’t know you went to the Met. What a gorgeous dress. You look like Rose Parade; they are your own platform lol,” wrote Mary Perry. The singer later revealed that she was in the studio working on fresh music and was not at the gala.
Rihanna and Dua Lipa were also deeply faked
Similarly, an AI-generated image of Rihanna in a mermaid-style dress with an embroidered armhole depicting flora and fauna went viral on social media, even though the artist and fashion mogul missed the event due to illness. Dua Lipa was also falsely depicted in an AI-generated image wearing bangs, a bow tie and a corset gown, before arriving at the event in a completely different outfit designed by Marc Jacobs.
Is it real or a deepfake? This does not mean that these deepfake images pose any threat to anyone; they seem to reimagine stars in the most fascinating outfits that no one would have thought of, but artificial intelligence has faked them deeply. However, the blurring of the line between reality and fantasy raises critical questions about authenticity, creativity and the role of technology in shaping our perceptions.
On the one hand, it can be seen as a imaginative tool for fashion designers and marketers, enabling them to present their designs in fresh and groundbreaking ways. On the other hand, it raises concerns about the authenticity of the images we see on the Internet and the possibility of using artificial intelligence to deceive and manipulate.
The question is: how would artificial intelligence shape the future? As AI-generated images become more realistic and common, will they begin to replace real photos of celebrities and even not-so-popular people? Phones already have AI-based tools that can alter photos to some extent, not deepfakes.
For now, the 2024 Met Gala will be remembered as the year artificial intelligence took center stage, fooling celebrities and fans alike.
As the red carpet rolled out and celebrities began arriving at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, social media platforms were flooded with photos of attendees’ stunning outfits. However, a few photos stood out in the sea of photos for all the wrong reasons. These weren’t photos of actual participants, but rather AI-generated images of celebrities in fantastic, themed ensembles. Katy Perry, Rihanna and Dua Lipa, all dressed in extravagant dresses, started circulating on social media, but these were not real. Instead, they were generated using artificial intelligence.
AI deepfake even fooled Katy Perry’s own mother
One of the most viral photos of the night was an AI-generated photo of Katy Perry wearing a moss-trimmed floral gown that seemed to fit perfectly with the event’s theme, “Sleeping Beauties: The Garden of Time.” The photo, posted on X (formerly Twitter) with the caption “Katy Perry. That’s it” gained over 288,000 likes and over 9 million views in a matter of hours.
The photo was so convincing that even Perry’s mother was fooled and sent her daughter a text message of congratulations: “Ha Feather! I didn’t know you went to the Met. What a gorgeous dress. You look like Rose Parade; they are your own platform lol,” wrote Mary Perry. The singer later revealed that she was in the studio working on fresh music and was not at the gala.
Rihanna and Dua Lipa were also deeply faked
Similarly, an AI-generated image of Rihanna in a mermaid-style dress with an embroidered armhole depicting flora and fauna went viral on social media, even though the artist and fashion mogul missed the event due to illness. Dua Lipa was also falsely depicted in an AI-generated image wearing bangs, a bow tie and a corset gown, before arriving at the event in a completely different outfit designed by Marc Jacobs.
Is it real or a deepfake? This does not mean that these deepfake images pose any threat to anyone; they seem to reimagine stars in the most fascinating outfits that no one would have thought of, but artificial intelligence has faked them deeply. However, the blurring of the line between reality and fantasy raises critical questions about authenticity, creativity and the role of technology in shaping our perceptions.
On the one hand, it can be seen as a imaginative tool for fashion designers and marketers, enabling them to present their designs in fresh and groundbreaking ways. On the other hand, it raises concerns about the authenticity of the images we see on the Internet and the possibility of using artificial intelligence to deceive and manipulate.
The question is: how would artificial intelligence shape the future? As AI-generated images become more realistic and common, will they begin to replace real photos of celebrities and even not-so-popular people? Phones already have AI-based tools that can alter photos to some extent, not deepfakes.
For now, the 2024 Met Gala will be remembered as the year artificial intelligence took center stage, fooling celebrities and fans alike.
