Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has condemned the circulation of AI-generated deepfake images that falsely portray her sitting on a bed wearing lingerie, warning that such content is being used as a political weapon to deceive the public and damage reputations. On Tuesday, Meloni posted one of the manipulated images to her Facebook and X accounts, adding a red banner that read “False photo generated with AI.” The image had been shared online by a user named Roberto, accompanied by outraged commentary claiming it was “shameful” and “unworthy of the institutional role she holds” for a prime minister to appear in that condition.
Meloni said several fake photos of her had been created with artificial intelligence and passed off as real by political opponents. With a note of irony, she remarked that “whoever created them, at least in the attached case, has also improved me quite a bit,” but emphasized that the episode demonstrates how “anything at all” is now being used to attack people and spread falsehoods. She stressed that the issue extends beyond her personally, describing deepfakes as a dangerous tool because they can deceive, manipulate, and target anyone. “I can defend myself. Many others cannot,” she wrote, urging the public to adopt one rule: “verify before believing, and think before sharing. Because today it happens to me, tomorrow it could happen to anyone.”
This is not the first time Meloni has faced AI-enabled abuse. Two years ago she launched a libel suit against a man from Sardinia accused of making deepfake pornographic images using her face and posting them online, a case that is still ongoing. In 2024 she gave evidence in the trial and demanded €100,000 in damages, saying she would donate any award to a state fund assisting women who are victims of violence. The fight against risks posed by AI and deepfakes has become a central part of her government’s agenda. Meloni said she hopes her public response will help counter critics who believed the false image and used it to question her dignity, while also raising broader awareness that deepfakes can harm ordinary people who lack the platform to defend themselves.
