Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni publicly condemned a deepfake image of herself on Tuesday, calling it a political attack and warning of the broader menace of AI-manipulated media. In a Facebook post, Meloni shared the doctored photograph — which showed her in bed wearing lingerie — along with a social-media message from a user identified only as Roberto, who had urged her to be “ashamed.”
The premier’s post appeared to be a direct response to the image’s circulation. “Deepfakes are a dangerous tool because they can deceive, manipulate and target anyone. I can defend myself. Many others cannot,” she wrote. She did not say whether she would report the incident to law enforcement, despite urging from some of the commenters on her post.
Meloni acknowledged that the manipulated photo “actually made me look a lot better,” but added that “the fact remains that, in order to attack and fabricate lies, people will now use absolutely anything.” The post drew attention to the vulnerability of public figures — and, by extension, ordinary citizens — to synthetic media designed to humiliate or discredit.
It was not the first time that the likeness of Italy’s first female premier had attracted attention online. In February, a small church-state controversy flared after a cherub in a Roman church appeared to bear a striking resemblance to Meloni. She responded with self-deprecating humor, posting a photograph of the artwork with a laughing-crying emoji and writing, “No, I definitely don’t look like an angel.”
The recurrence of such manipulated imagery — whether AI-generated deepfakes or artistic coincidences — comes as governments around the world grapple with how to regulate synthetic media. Italy has been at the forefront of recent European efforts, though Meloni’s comments on Tuesday did not reference specific legislative proposals.