Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni issues statement on her deepfake photos

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has condemned the circulation of AI-generated images falsely portraying her.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, she warned that deepfake technology is becoming a dangerous tool capable of misleading the public and damaging reputations. 

Meloni said fabricated images were being used to spread falsehoods and urged people to verify information before sharing it.

Below is the English translation of her statement:

In recent days, several fake photos of me have been circulating, generated with artificial intelligence and passed off as real by some overly eager opponent.

I must admit that whoever created them — at least in the attached example — actually improved my appearance quite a bit. But the fact remains that, in order to attack and spread falsehoods, people are now willing to use anything.

The issue, however, goes beyond me. Deepfakes are a dangerous tool because they can deceive, manipulate, and target anyone. I can defend myself. Many others cannot.

For this reason, one rule should always apply: verify before believing, and think before sharing. Because today it happens to me; tomorrow it could happen to anyone.