Anonymous X user’s Monet AI prank exposes social media misinformation

An anonymous X user, known as SHL0MS, posted what he claimed was an AI‑generated Monet painting of water lilies. He invited followers to point out the AI's deficiencies, prompting thousands of comments that criticized the depiction of light, colour and form. After a period of discussion, he revealed that the image was actually the genuine Monet work “Seerosen (Nymphas)” (1918/1921) housed in Munich’s Neue Pinakothek.

The stunt was described by the artist as a “viral performance” intended to illustrate how easily misinformation spreads on social platforms, especially amid the current AI hype. He later sold a virtual ownership certificate of the tweet and its comment thread as an NFT for about $40,000, further underscoring the blend of art, digital media and speculative markets.