Billie Eilish debunks AI images of her at Met Gala: “I wasn’t even there”
Billie Eilish did not attend this year’s Met Gala, and has criticised AI images of her on the red carpet that have circulated across social media.
The ‘Birds of a Feather’ singer took to her Instagram Stories on May 14th to express her exasperation. While eating an ice cream, Eilish addressed the camera. “Seeing people talk about what I wore to this year’s Met Gala being trash,” she began.
“I wasn’t there!” the singer then exclaimed. “That’s AI. I had a show in Europe that night.” Eilish is here referring to a show in Amsterdam’s Ziggo Dome, a venue she played on May 4th and 5th.
“Let me be! I wasn’t even there,” she reiterated at the end of the video. The theme for this year’s Met Gala was ‘Tailored for You’, and saw attendees like Zendaya, Rihanna, and Pharrell Williams adorn slick suits and padded shoulders.
Similarly, ‘Fireworks’ singer Katy Perry also took to Instagram to refute fabricated pictures of her at the Met Gala. “Couldn’t make it to the MET, I’m on The Lifetimes Tour (see you in Houston tomorrow IRL),” she wrote, before jesting: “P.s. this year I was actually with my mom so she’s safe from the bots but I’m praying for the rest of y’all.” This comes after Perry likened herself to a “human piñata” in light of recent online abuse.
Elsewhere in the world of AI, a plethora of musicians have been actively fighting the swift erasure of creativity in favour of futuristic technology. In February, over 1,000 artists, including Damon Albarn and Kate Bush, released a silent album to protest the government’s proposed changes to copyright law.
However, other musicians are embracing ethical AI. Imogen Heap became the first artist to sign on for an AI start-up ‘Jen’, which allows users to “infuse the vibe, feel, rhythmic style, instrument textures” of fully licensed songs.
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