AI-generated images featuring Katy Perry and Rihanna at the Met Gala have caught fire on social media.
Despite neither singer attending the event, fabricated images of them spread like wildfire across X, previously known as Twitter.
Perry posted two faux images of herself on Instagram with the caption “couldn’t make it to the MET, had to work.”
One image of Perry in a floral gown with moss trimming has garnered over 13 million views on X.
The picture surfaced at the commencement of the red carpet affair at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, simply captioned: “Katy Perry. That’s it.”
Fans reacted to Perry’s Instagram post, confessing they fell for the hoax.
“I really reposted this thinking it was real,” one fan admitted, while another exclaimed, “Wait, it’s AI-generated?! I got duped.”
The Fireworks singer also shared a screenshot of a conversation with her mom, who also fell for the ruse.
“lol mom the AI got you too, BEWARE!” Perry joked in a message. Another AI-rendered image of Perry, this time donning a gold corseted gown with a prominent breastplate, has also circulated widely with over 5 million views.
The attire aligned with the 2024 theme, The Garden of Time – a narrative centered around a Count and Countess who harvest time-reversing flowers.
An AI-created image of Rihanna has also garnered millions of views on social media. The depiction portrays her on the red carpet adorned in an embroidered gown featuring fauna, birds, and a sizable circular armpiece. Per People, the 36-year-old missed the event due to illness.
Early in the evening, fake photos of Dua Lipa circulated, depicting her in an off-shoulder corseted gown with fringe and a bow. The images placed her in a location different from the red carpet.
Several hours later, the 28-year-old British-Albanian songstress arrived at the event donning an entirely different ensemble – a lacey all-black dress paired with bedazzled belly chains, mesh polka-dot gloves, and a large black feather boa draped over her shoulder.
The annual charitable affair attracts A-list celebrities and luminaries from the fashion world. This year, Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Chris Hemsworth, and Bad Bunny joined Vogue’s Anna Wintour as hosts.
The event serves as a fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, with tickets rumored to cost upwards of $70,000 (£56,000).