Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has issued a stark warning about the proliferation of artificial intelligence-generated fake images online, revealing that doctored photos of herself are being circulated.
Meloni's warning on deepfakes
Ms Meloni stated on Tuesday that these fabricated images, which she claims have been created with AI and disseminated by political opponents, pose a significant risk of deceiving the public and targeting individuals unable to defend themselves.
She highlighted one such image, depicting her seemingly sitting on a bed in underwear, which had previously drawn outrage online, with commentators branding it "shameful" and "unworthy of an Italian prime minister".
"I must admit that whoever created them, at least in the attached case, has also improved me quite a bit," Meloni said, adding that the episode showed how "anything at all" was now being used to attack people and spread falsehoods.
"The point, however, goes beyond me," she said. "Deepfakes are a dangerous tool, because they can deceive, manipulate, and strike anyone. I can defend myself. Many others cannot."
Meloni urged people to check the authenticity of online content before accepting or sharing it.
"One rule should always apply: verify before believing, and think before sharing," she said.
Legal action and context
Meloni launched a libel suit two years ago against a man from Sardinia who is accused of making deepfake pornographic images using her face and posting them online. The case continues.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Rome this week for potentially contentious meetings with Pope Leo and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, as President Donald Trump's war in Iran strains Washington's relations with traditional allies.
The visit comes amid an unprecedented public rift between Washington and the Vatican, with Trump lambasting the first U.S. pope on social media after Leo criticized the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and other Trump policies. Meloni defended the Pope and her defence minister has said the war in Iran puts U.S. leadership at risk.
Rubio, Trump's national security adviser as well as the top U.S. diplomat, will travel to Italy and the Vatican from Wednesday to Friday "to advance bilateral relations with Italy and the Vatican," State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement on Monday, also suggesting that U.S. tensions with Cuba could be part of Rubio's discussions with Leo.
"Secretary Rubio will meet with Holy See leadership to discuss the situation in the Middle East and mutual interests in the Western Hemisphere," Pigott said.
