AI deepfakes pose a growing problem in various fields, including pop music and fine art. This issue was evident on Monday night during the Met Gala red carpet event. As celebrities arrived at fashion's grandest occasion of the year, numerous AI-generated images of famous individuals started circulating online, making it challenging to distinguish reality from fabrication. The first Monday in May always generates tremendous anticipation as it draws renowned figures from the entertainment and fashion industries. Certain stars' appearances on the grand staircase of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, celebrating the Costume Institute's latest exhibition, are particularly eagerly awaited. Exploiting fans' enthusiasm for these celebrities, some X users shared artificially produced images of Katy Perry, Rihanna, and Selena Gomez, despite the fact that they were not actually present on the red carpet. One of the initial AI images that circulated depicted Perry in a floral gown adorned with moss, inspired by the theme of the night, "Sleeping Beauties: The Garden of Time. " This post, uploaded on X at the beginning of the Met Gala red carpet, garnered over 288, 000 likes and more than 9 million views within three hours. Its simple caption read, "Katy Perry. That's it, " accompanied by the Met Gala hashtag. Subsequently, additional AI images emerged on X, featuring Perry seemingly walking along the carpet. Another image showcased an AI rendition of the singer in a corseted gown with a train inspired by vineyards, adorned with a prominent breastplate.

This post gained over 2 million views and received more than 94, 000 likes. Perry herself liked both of these posts on X. Rihanna is always a highly sought-after presence on the Met Gala red carpet due to her ability to consistently surprise and captivate with her fashion choices. However, this year, the artist and fashion mogul decided to skip the event, as confirmed by People magazine. Nonetheless, internet users took it upon themselves to bring her to the gala, creating AI interpretations of what they imagined she would wear on the carpet. One user shared a photo of an AI creation depicting Rihanna in a mermaid-style gown, featuring an embroidered scene of flora and fauna on a circular armpiece—an arguably safe choice compared to Rihanna's past fashion audacity. Gomez also received an artificial makeover for the event, portrayed in an AI-generated image wearing a butterfly-inspired gown in shades of blue, green, and purple. Although all these posts exhibit a slight uncanny valley effect, their accuracy and detail are such that it comes as no surprise that many online struggled to detect the difference. By 10 p. m. , the red carpet affair had concluded, and all celebrities scheduled to attend the gala had entered the venue. Therefore, any subsequent photos that surface are most likely not genuine. This evening's events remind us that such fabricated images have become an integral part of our online reality, and our ability to discern authenticity from falsehoods is crucial for media literacy—until the point when this distinction becomes increasingly challenging.