Katy Perry and Rihanna didn’t attend the Met Gala. But AI-generated images still fooled fans

NEW YORK (AP) — No, Katy Perry and Rihanna didn’t attend the Met Gala this year. But that didn’t stop AI-generated images from tricking some fans into thinking the stars made appearances on the steps of fashion’s biggest night.

Deepfake images depicting a handful of big names at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s annual fundraiser quickly spread online Monday and early Tuesday.

Some eagle-eyed social media users spotted discrepancies — and platforms themselves, such as X’s Community Notes, soon noted that the images were likely created using artificial intelligence. One clue that a viral picture of Perry in a flower-covered gown, for example, was bogus is that the carpeting on the stairs matched that from the 2018 event, not this year’s green-tinged fabric lined with live foliage.

Still, others were fooled — including Perry’s own mother. Hours after at least two AI-generated images of the singer began swirling online, Perry reposted them to her Instagram, accompanied by a screenshot of a text that appeared to be from her mom complimenting her on what she thought was a real Met Gala appearance.

“lol mom the AI got to you too, BEWARE!” Perry responded in the exchange.

Representatives for Perry did not immediately respond to The Associated Press’ request for further comment and information on why Perry wasn’t at the Monday night event. But in a caption on her Instagram post, Perry wrote, “couldn’t make it to the MET, had to work.” The post also included a muted video of her singing.