Experts are warning about the rise of fake social media posts after an AI-generated image of Katy Perry seemingly attending the Met Gala on May 6 fooled even her mother.
The image depicted the US singer standing on the famous steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, where the fashion gala is held every year.
She is wearing an ivory gown embroidered with flowers and moss, in line with this year's theme, Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.
"Katy Perry. That's it. #MetGala," read the caption on the viral image which has been seen by over five million people.
However, as it turns out, the photo circulating online was not Perry.
Not only was the singer not in attendance but the background of the photo does not even match this year's red carpet.
The backdrop is actually from the 2018 Met Gala.
Still, the AI-generated image was so believable, it even fooled her mother.
In her post on Instagram, Perry shared a screenshot of a message her mum had sent her, in which her mum praised the star's choice of dress.
"Ha Feather! Didn't know you went to the Met. What a gorgeous gown, you look like a Rose Parade, you are your own float lol," her mum texted.
Perry swiftly replied, "lol mom the AI got to you too, BEWARE!"
Fans responded to Perry's Instagram post admitting they had been fooled by the picture.
"I really reposted this believing it was true," one fan said, while another wrote "Wait, it's AI-generated?! I got fooled."
AI posts 'becoming incredibly common'
Associate Professor of iCinema Research Centre at the University of New South Wales Oliver Brown said the rise of AI-generated images was becoming widespread.
"It's becoming incredibly common and split into many different flavours: from malicious deep fakes to adoring fan-remixes of popular songs," he said.
Prof Brown said it was "relatively easy" to make an image although there were still "technical challenges to get AI to perfectly generate an accurate likeness of someone along with other generative goals".
"Nevertheless, combining Generative AI with more traditional Photoshop-style hacking, one can easily create an image like this," he said.
Prof Brown said there were usually "telltale" signs that an image had been AI-generated. These include errors in the content (like a person having 6 fingers) to more subtle clues in the style.
"It's safe to say you can no longer believe that any photographic image is real, and audio and video are close behind," he said.
Researchers at The Australian National University recently found audiences relied on more intuitive cues to distinguish AI from real faces.
The study found more often than not, people incorrectly identified AI-generated images as real people.
They were also more likely to incorrectly identify actual humans as AI-generated.
Carla Mascarenhas
Carla Mascarenhas is the NSW correspondent covering breaking news, state politics and investigations. She is based in Sydney. Contact her on carla.mascarenhas@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Carla Mascarenhas is the NSW correspondent covering breaking news, state politics and investigations. She is based in Sydney. Contact her on carla.mascarenhas@austcommunitymedia.com.au
