Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said artificial intelligence-generated fake images of her are being circulated online claiming to be real, prompting her to warn about the risks of deepfakes. In a post to X, Meloni shared one of the manipulated images and said political opponents were spreading the material online.
“These days, several fake photos of me are circulating, generated with artificial intelligence and passed off as real by some zealous opponent.” She added, “I must admit that whoever created them, at least in the attached case, has also improved me quite a bit. But the fact remains that, just to attack and invent falsehoods, nowadays anything at all is used.”
Meloni said the issue goes beyond attacks on her personally and warned that AI-generated media can be used to mislead the public. “The point, however, goes beyond me. Deepfakes are a dangerous tool, because they can deceive, manipulate, and strike anyone. I can defend myself. Many others cannot.”
She also urged users to verify material before sharing it online, writing: “For this reason, one rule should always apply: verify before believing, and believe before sharing. Because today it happens to me, tomorrow it can happen to anyone.”
The Italian prime minister has previously spoken out about manipulated content involving her image and had earlier pursued legal action over deepfake pornographic videos that used her likeness. Reports said Meloni filed a lawsuit against two individuals accused of creating and distributing the videos in 2020, with the matter becoming public roughly two years after the material first surfaced.
The latest incident brings up questions once again about artificial intelligence and public figures. Deepfake tech has increasingly been used to create false videos, altered audio clips, and fabricated images that can appear authentic at first glance.
“These days, several fake photos of me are circulating, generated with artificial intelligence and passed off as real by some zealous opponent.” She added, “I must admit that whoever created them, at least in the attached case, has also improved me quite a bit. But the fact remains that, just to attack and invent falsehoods, nowadays anything at all is used.”
Meloni said the issue goes beyond attacks on her personally and warned that AI-generated media can be used to mislead the public. “The point, however, goes beyond me. Deepfakes are a dangerous tool, because they can deceive, manipulate, and strike anyone. I can defend myself. Many others cannot.”
She also urged users to verify material before sharing it online, writing: “For this reason, one rule should always apply: verify before believing, and believe before sharing. Because today it happens to me, tomorrow it can happen to anyone.”
The Italian prime minister has previously spoken out about manipulated content involving her image and had earlier pursued legal action over deepfake pornographic videos that used her likeness. Reports said Meloni filed a lawsuit against two individuals accused of creating and distributing the videos in 2020, with the matter becoming public roughly two years after the material first surfaced.
The latest incident brings up questions once again about artificial intelligence and public figures. Deepfake tech has increasingly been used to create false videos, altered audio clips, and fabricated images that can appear authentic at first glance.
