Celebrities

Katy Perry’s Met Gala look sparks AI theories after fans spot key detail

Katy Perry unmasked as Met Gala's mystery guest
Cover Media / VideoElephant

The Met Gala may have been and gone, but one thing doesn't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon: AI.

The divisive tech has been causing a big stir in recent years, prompting debates over everything from the beloved em-dash to celebrities mysteriously growing a sixth finger, and the darker side, including deepfakes targeting high-profiles.

It's becoming increasingly difficult for even the most eagle-eyed, tech-savvy person to differentiate between what’s real and fake. And the Met Gala 2026 is no exception.

Ahead of the event last night, timelines were flooded with photos repeatedly shared of favourite celebrities, including Ariana Grande and Lady Gaga, seemingly gracing the red carpet.

Spoiler alert: they weren't even there.

And now, Perry's creative take on the modern world has spectators taking a double look. No, it's not her aero-chic mask made by Miodrag Guberinic, nor her custom Stella McCartney dress. It's the sixth finger on her glove.

The star herself was previously subject to AI fakes back in 2024, when a photo went viral of her 'at the Met Gala' before people were corrected that it was entirely AI-generated.

And now, fans believe her look may be inspired by exactly that, especially after tweeting, "What is real?" shortly after the event.

"Katy Perry became the AI herself," one quipped.

Another reiterated a similar sentiment.

Meanwhile, one fan believed her look to be "a serve".

It's becoming harder to separate the fakes, and so, more important than ever to stick to established outlets or the sources themselves.

Indy100 previously spoke to James Bore, a chartered security professional and author of The Cyber Circuit, who explained why AI still has a big problem replicating hands and feet – a key indicator that an image is, in fact, AI-generated.

"While people think of faces as variable, hands especially (and feet to a slightly lesser degree) are highly delicate and highly articulated," he explained.

James shared that if you consider the number of different 'poses' your hands can be in, and how each pose can look vastly different from the next, you’ll start to understand the challenge.

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