Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has publicly denounced the use of deepfakes after an AI-generated image of her in lingerie was circulated on social media by her political opponents. Sharing the image, which depicts her in a white bra set, Meloni remarked: 'Several fake photos of me have been circulating these days, generated with artificial intelligence and passed off as real by some diligent opponents.'
Meloni's Response to the Deepfake
In a light-hearted yet serious tone, Meloni joked: 'I have to admit that the person who made them, at least in the case attached, improved me a lot.' However, she quickly emphasised the gravity of the situation, stating: 'But the fact remains that, to attack and invent falsehoods, they really use anything by now.'
The Italian leader described deepfakes as a 'dangerous tool' because they can 'deceive, manipulate and hit anyone.' She added: 'I can defend myself. Many others don't.'
Legal Action Against Deepfake Creators
Meloni's post on Tuesday comes over a year after she appeared in court to demand punishment for two men who allegedly created and shared fake explicit videos of her online. In 2024, she filed a defamation suit against Alessio Scurosu and his father Roberto from Sardinia. Her lawyers noted that the prime minister pursued the case to 'send a message to women who are victims of this kind of abuse of power not to be afraid to press charges.'
Meloni also raised concerns about how artificial intelligence can produce images that appear real, warning: 'With the advent of artificial intelligence, if we let the face of some woman be mounted on the body of another woman, our daughters will find themselves in these situations, which is exactly why I consider it legitimate to wage this war.' She called for stricter laws surrounding deepfakes.
Widespread Issue Among Public Figures
Meloni is not alone in being targeted by explicit deepfakes. Female celebrities have been primary targets since 2018, when Natalie Portman was featured in a deepfake video. Marvel actress Scarlett Johansson was targeted last year with a deepfake advertisement promoting Lisa AI. In 2024, deepfake images of singer Taylor Swift went viral on social media, garnering over 27 million views and 260,000 likes before being removed. In March that year, Harry Potter star Emma Watson appeared in a deepfake ad on social media depicting a sexual act.
Italy's AI Legislation
Meloni's social media post also follows Italy's parliament approval of a new law on artificial intelligence last year, making Italy the first European Union country with comprehensive AI regulations aligned with the EU's AI Act. Meloni's government spearheaded the legislation, establishing human-centric, transparent and safe AI use as core principles while emphasising innovation, cybersecurity and privacy protections.
