Met Gala: Katy Perry’s mom among many who fall for AI deepfake of singer

As the Met Gala photos of the hottest celebs dressed in couture started rolling in yesterday (Monday 6 May), an AI photo of Katy Perry tricked her own mom and many others as they branded her ‘best dressed’ despite not being there in person.

The Met Gala isn’t an ordinary ceremony, it’s often regarded as the most prestigious fashion event and is one where celebrities are encouraged to dress up to a theme and revel in the art of fashion.

While Katy Perry has been in attendance in previous years with avant-garde looks, many were tricked into thinking she was at the 2024 event when two AI photos of her went viral.

Dressed in two outfits perfect for the ‘Garden of Time’ theme, Katy Perry’s mom believed she had shown up on the carpet. Instead, the singer was recording in a studio.

Katy Perry took to Instagram to share the text her mom sent her which reads: “Ha Feather! Didn’t know you went to the Met. What a gorgeous gown, you look like the Rose Parade, you are your own float lol.”

In response, the artist said: “lol mom the AI got you too, BEWARE!”

The only major giveaway of the AI photo? The carpet. Every year, to go along with the theme, the Met Gala carpet and entryway are uniquely designed.

The main AI photo of Katy Perry features the 2018 carpet with its beige and red appearance, different from 2024’s earthy green adaptation.

The second AI photo of Katy Perry to go viral featured the newest iteration, so it’s no surprise people fell for it.

AI gets best dressed at Met Gala 2024

At an event where the outfits are the showstoppers and fans of fashion are eager to see how designers and fashion houses interpret the theme year-on-year, the AI version came up trumps.

Before the realization of it being an AI hit, people took to X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok to share their love for Katy Perry’s take on the theme.

Some people listed her amongst others who actually were in attendance, with one X user saying: “JLO & Katy Perry have done it for me tonight best-dressed women so far”

Another said: “Katy Perry & Zendaya are best dressed hands down.”

Photos of Lady Gaga, Rihanna, and Nicki Minaj were created by artificial intelligence and shared on social media too.