00:04Hello and welcome to The Cube, Euronews' fact-checking show.
00:07Did pop stars do a Lipa celebrate her wedding in Sicily by eating spaghetti straight out of a pot?
00:13That's what this AI-generated image would have you believe.
00:16These photos of Lipa celebrating a supposed wedding in Italy went viral,
00:20and some are more believable than others.
00:22They are not real, but were generated using artificial intelligence.
00:25They were originally posted by a digital artist known as Rick Dick,
00:30who creates AI-generated satire targeting the fashion industry.
00:33Rick told us that the images were clearly labeled as AI-generated on his own profile,
00:39and were intended as a joke, with some pictures being deliberately absurd.
00:43However, he said the problem began when the images were reposted elsewhere.
00:47Some users did point out that the photos were AI-generated,
00:50but many seemed to believe that they were real.
00:52An outlet in India and South Africa also shared the images as real photos of the wedding,
00:58without any mention of them being AI-generated.
01:01And they were shared on Instagram by an Italian radio station, which later deleted them.
01:06AI photo aside, the wedding sparked controversy in Palermo.
01:09Some residents welcomed the event and the presence of international stars as guests,
01:14including Charlie XCX and Donatella Versace.
01:17Others raised concerns about the disruption linked to the three-day celebration.
01:21Palermo mayor Roberto Lagalla said he understood residents' concern about disruption.
01:27He added that a small sacrifice was necessary,
01:29and that the event could improve visibility and support the local economy through increased tourism.
01:35And it's not the first time AI images of a highly-anticipated celebrity wedding have gone viral.
01:40In March, AI-generated images showing actress Zendaya marrying Spider-Man star Tom Holland
01:45were widely re-shared online.
01:48Zendaya said that even some people close to her thought the images were real.
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