Over the years, Halloween costumes have evolved from frightening fictional characters such as vampires and zombies, to people dressing as their favourite princess or superhero.
You may have seen pictures on your socials of celebrities who go all out with elaborate outfits and makeup, making it nearly impossible to tell who's behind the disguise! But do you think you could spot the difference between an AI-generated celeb costume (trick) and a real costume (treat)?
Trick or Treat?
Sydney Sweeney as Supergirl
Actress Sydney Sweeney's career has been flying high in 2026, so it would make perfect sense for her to chose a Supergirl outfit for some fancy dress fun. But has Sydney really dressed up as someone from the planet Krypton, or could this be an example of AI at work?
It's AI!
This is AI and it comes from the Instagram account @henrry_acosta26 which contains more fake images of celebrities. With technology becoming more sophisticated, it's getting trickier to tell genuine images from the generated ones so make sure you always check for the tags and labels which clearly state if a picture is AI.
Halle Berry as Neytiri from Avatar
Last year, Halle Bailey went ‘under the sea’ in Disney’s live adaptation of The Little Mermaid with people on social media recreating her iconic wet hair flip. Is this picture of her dressed as Neytiri from Avatar real or AI?
It’s real!
Halle Bailey posted this image on X in 2022 with the caption: “always wanted to be an avatar”. This image received over 160K likes. The actress also posted videos to her Snapchat the morning after trying to remove the makeup!
If you are wondering if an image you see online is real or AI, it’s a good idea to look at the source. This image was posted from Bailey's official account but, if unsure, you should always check the number of followers, the accompanying caption and look at other content posted to check if they are legit.
Harry Styles as Ghostface
Singer Harry Styles’ most viral Halloween looks include when he dressed up as Elton John in a sparkle-covered Dodgers Uniform in 2018 and when he was Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz in 2021. Is this image of him as Ghostface from Scream real or AI?
It’s AI!
This image of the former One Direction member as Ghostface from Scream is not real!
The image was posted on TikTok by the user @goldengirlyyy. When trying to decide if an image is real or AI, try looking closely at the person's appearance. In this image, Styles' skin looks very smooth and perfect and you'll notice his hair looks slightly fake.
Lizzo as Marge Simpson
Lizzo’s social media is home to funny videos and her participating in the most recent trends. Over the years, her Halloween costumes have gone viral with her dressing up as Miss Piggy, Grogu and a DNA test. Is this image of her as Marge Simpson real or AI?
It’s real!
In 2022, the singer had four Halloween looks which were Marge Simpson, Miss Piggy, Woo Wop emo kid and Chrisean Rock.
This image was posted to Lizzo’s official Instagram account. If you are unsure if an image is AI or real why not do a reverse image check. This will help you find the original source of the image and help you decide if it is reliable. As well as that, you should pay close attention to the image, looking out for any unusual details.
Tips on spotting AI and more quizzes
Did you manage to spot all of the AI images? Why not also have a go at our other quizzes to see if you can spot more celebrity AI photos.
Remember to question what you see online by doing reverse image searches and using trusted sites and sources. Make sure you look out for those telltale tags on images too - if something is AI generated, then there should be a label saying as much!
This article was updated in October 2026
Not sure if the news you’re seeing on social media is true or false? Can you always tell if the things you see online are real or fake?
Learn how to get the other side of the story with our quizzes, videos and explainers about media skills and viral trends including popular food myths.
Other Side of the Story
Back to our homepage for more quizzes and explainers about fake news, viral trends and media skills.
