Katy Perry’s AI Deepfake Met Gala Look Goes Viral Again

The bit was an extension of a goofy incident that occurred last year when Perry was unable to attend the Met Gala, and someone created a slew of AI-generated images of her at the event. While a close look at those photos would’ve been enough for most people to confirm they were phony, they were realistic enough to fool plenty of people — including Perry’s mom.

On Instagram at the time, Perry shared a screen grab of a text message from her mom, exclaiming, “Ha Feather! Din’t know you went to the Met. What a gorgeous gown, you look like the Rose Parade, you are your own float lol.”

Perry was quick to respond, “lol mom the AI got you too, BEWARE!”

It’s unclear if this year, the bit fully came from Perry and her camp, or if it was actually the work of an enterprising fan. Potentially in support of the former theory, Perry shared a full mock-up illustration of her Met Gala look, suggesting that while the image itself may have been deepfaked, she had an actual designer whip up something original for her to wear. (A rep for Perry did not immediately return Rolling Stone’s request for comment.)

Either way, what’s most important is Perry’s mom could not be fooled again. “This year I was actually with my mom so she’s safe from the bots,” Perry quipped on IG, “but I’m praying for the rest of y’all.”