Rome: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has condemned the circulation of AI-generated deepfake images falsely depicting her, warning about the growing dangers posed by manipulated online content.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Meloni said several fabricated images — including one portraying her in lingerie — were circulated online and presented as genuine by political opponents. The images triggered criticism from some social media users who believed they were authentic.
Responding to the controversy, Meloni used a mix of irony and concern, joking that the creator had “improved” her appearance, while stressing that the incident reflected a broader problem of misinformation and digital manipulation.
Girano in questi giorni diverse mie foto false, generate con l’intelligenza artificiale e spacciate per vere da qualche solerte oppositore.
Devo riconoscere che chi le ha realizzate, almeno nel caso in allegato, mi ha anche migliorata parecchio. Ma resta il fatto che, pur di… pic.twitter.com/or44qru2qj
— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) May 5, 2026
She described the spread of deepfakes as a form of cyberbullying and warned that such technology can be used to deceive, manipulate and target individuals, particularly those unable to defend themselves publicly.
Urging caution, she called on people to “verify before believing and think before sharing.”
The issue comes amid Italy’s wider push to regulate artificial intelligence. Last year, Italy became the first member of the European Union to pass comprehensive AI legislation, including penalties for harmful uses such as deepfakes.
The legislation followed controversy over doctored explicit images involving female politicians, which prompted police investigations and renewed debate over online misinformation and digital abuse.
