Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has publicly addressed the circulation of artificial intelligence-generated images purporting to depict her in scanty underclothes, which she described as “shameful and unworthy of the institutional role” she holds. According to translations from Euronews, Meloni shared a social media post on Tuesday pairing an apparent image with a screenshot of a user who alleged the likeness was falsely attributed to her.
In her statement, viewed by The Daily Caller, Meloni clarified that “several fake photos of me — generated using artificial intelligence and passed off as real by some overzealous opponent — are currently circulating.” She added: “I must admit that whomever created them — at least in the case attached here — actually improved my appearance quite a bit.”
Meloni emphasized the dangers of deepfakes, stating they “have the power to deceive, manipulate and target anyone,” while noting she “can defend myself. Many others cannot.” She urged vigilance: “Verify before believing, and believe before sharing.”
This incident follows earlier concerns about AI-generated content involving Meloni’s likeness. In February, a cherub bearing an appearance similar to her appeared in a Roman church, prompting Meloni to quip on social media, “No, I definitely don’t look like an angel,” alongside an emoji of laughter and crying.