Singer Katy Perry did not attend the Met Gala, yet images of her dress have been going viral. The culprit? Artificial Intelligence.
The Met Gala hosted a variety of celebrities, but Katy Perry, who was busy with work, was not one of them. Despite this fact, many believed Perry to be in attendance. This mistake is forgiven when you consider the AI photos fabricating her red carpet look have been all around the internet.
The most popular photo shows an AI-generated Katy Perry wearing a white floor-length dress with a floral theme surrounded by paparazzi. At first glance, it perfectly fits the extravagant and often over-the-top looks that celebrities wear to the Met Gala, but when taking a closer look, AI artifacts are clear. The dress sits unnaturally on the stairs, and the men in the background have faces that melt into each other. Nevertheless, no one can be faulted for being fooled by this image. This image, and AI image generation, has gotten more convincing since its recent introduction to popular culture.
The AI image even fooled some of Perry’s closest family. Perry’s mother, Mary Perry, complimented what she thought was Perry’s “gorgeous gown,” as shown in a text message screenshot shared by Perry. Perry responded that the AI had “got her too” and to “beware.”
These convincing AI images can be seen as concerning to many as it poses a threat to truthful journalism and can spread misinformation. In turn, this proves people must double-check what they see on the Internet to ensure they are not duped by false information.
This event is not unique to Katy Perry- many famous people have had their images faked by AI. Lady Gaga, also not present at the Met Gala, had images faked too, and so have many other notable people. While this issue of AI misinformation is a recently developing problem, the tried and true methods of finding out if sources are reputable are still applicable in an AI world.
