Rihanna and Katy Perry did not appear at the Met Gala. However, AI-generated images continued to deceive fans

NEW YORK (AP) – No, Katy Perry and Rihanna did not attend the Met Gala this 12 months. However, that did not stop AI-generated images from fooling some fans into pondering that the stars appeared on the steps of fashion’s biggest night.

Fake photos showing a handful of massive names at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s annual fundraiser quickly spread online on Monday and early Tuesday.

Some eagle-eyed social media users spotted the discrepancies, and platforms themselves, comparable to X Community Notes, were quick to indicate that the images were likely created using artificial intelligence. One clue that the viral photo of Perry in a flower-covered dress, for instance, was a fake is that the carpet on the stairs matched that of the 2018 event, reasonably than this 12 months’s green-tinted fabric lined with vibrant leaves.

Still, others fell for it – including Perry’s mother. Hours after at least two AI-generated photos of the singer began circulating online, Perry reposted them to her Instagram, together with a screenshot of text that appeared to be from her mom complimenting her on what she believed to be an actual performance at the Met Gala.

“lol mom, the AI ​​got you too, watch out!” Perry responded in an exchange.

Perry’s representatives did not immediately respond to an Associated Press request for further comment and details about why Perry was not at Monday evening’s event. However, in the caption of her Instagram post, Perry wrote, “she couldn’t make it to the Met, she had to work.” The post also included a muted video of her singing.

Meanwhile, a fake photo of Rihanna in a shocking white dress embroidered with flowers, birds and branches can be circulating on the Internet. The whaler was originally a confirmed guest at this 12 months’s Met Gala, but Vogue reps said she would not be in attendance before the carpet closed on Monday night.

People magazine reported that Rihanna had the flu, but representatives did not immediately confirm the reason for her absence. Rihanna’s representatives also did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the star’s AI-generated photo.

While the source(s) of those photos are difficult to determine, the realistic-looking Met Gala backdrop seen in lots of the photos suggests that whatever artificial intelligence tool was used to create them was likely trained on some photos from past events.

The Met Gala’s official photographer, Getty Images, declined to comment Tuesday.

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Last 12 months, Getty sued a number one AI image generator, London-based Stability AI, alleging that it copied greater than 12 million photos from Getty’s stock photography collection without permission. Getty has since launched its own AI image generator trained on its works, but blocks attempts to generate what it calls “problematic content.”

This is not the first time we have seen generative AI, a branch of artificial intelligence that may create something latest, getting used to create fake content. Fake images, videos and audio recordings of celebrities, from Pope Francis to Taylor Swift, have previously gained lots of notoriety on the Internet.

Experts note that every case highlights growing concerns about the misuse of the technology – particularly regarding disinformation and the potential for fraud, identity theft or propaganda, and even election manipulation.

“It used to be that seeing is believing, and now seeing is not believing,” said Cayce Myers, professor and director of graduate studies at Virginia Tech’s School of Communication, pointing to the impact of Monday’s artificial intelligence-generated image of Perry. “(If) even the mother can be fooled into thinking the image is real, it shows the level of sophistication of this technology.”

While using artificial intelligence to generate photos of celebrities in seemingly luxurious gowns (which could easily be proven fake at a highly publicized event like the Met Gala) could appear relatively harmless, Myers and others note that there’s a well-documented history of more serious or harmful uses of this type technology.

Earlier this 12 months, for instance, sexually explicit and offensive fake photos of Swift began circulating online, causing X, formerly Twitter, to temporarily block some searches. The victims of non-consensual deepfakes, in fact, extend far beyond celebrities, and supporters emphasize special concern for victims who’ve little protection. Research shows that explicit AI-generated material overwhelmingly harms women and children – including disturbing cases of AI-generated nudes circulating in high schools.

In an election 12 months in several countries around the world, experts proceed to point to the potential geopolitical consequences that deceptive AI-generated material could have.

“The consequences go far beyond individual security and really address issues like the security of the nation and the security of society as a whole,” said David Broniatowski, an associate professor at George Washington University and principal investigator of the study’s Institute for Trustworthy AI in Law and Society at the school.

Taking advantage of the opportunities that generative AI has to offer while creating an infrastructure that protects consumers is a difficult task, especially as the commercialization of the technology continues to grow at such a rapid pace. Experts point to the need for corporate responsibility, universal industry standards and effective government regulations.

Tech corporations are largely deciding how to manage artificial intelligence and its threats as governments around the world scramble to catch up. Despite this, significant progress has been remodeled the past 12 months. In December, the European Union reached an agreement on the world’s first comprehensive artificial intelligence law, but the law will only take effect two years after final approval.