Giorgia Meloni Shares Deepfake Nude Photo of Herself to Warn About AI Misuse and Manipulation

Italian Prime Minister Shares Deepfake Nude Photo of Herself to Warn About AI Misuse

Giorgia Meloni, the Prime Minister of Italy, has shared an AI-generated photo of herself in a state of undress as a warning about deepfake photos. Meloni took to social media yesterday to share the AI image, which she says was created by a political rival. "In recent days, several fake photos of me are circulating, generated with artificial intelligence and passed off as real by some zealous opponent," Meloni writes. The Italian Premier adds that, "whoever created them, at least in the attached case, has also improved me quite a bit. But the fact remains that, just to attack and invent falsehoods, nowadays anything at all is used." Since rising to the southern European country's highest office, the first woman to do so, Meloni has targeted deepfakes: passing a groundbreaking AI law last year that sets penalties and safeguards to curb the technology's misuses. The legislation is aligned with the EU's broader AI Act. Meloni also brought a civil case against two men she accused of making a deepfake pornographic video of her. And last year, a website was shut down after it published deepfake pornographic images of prominent Italian women, including Meloni. Prosecutors in Rome have opened an investigation. "The point, however, goes beyond me," Meloni writes. "Deepfakes are a dangerous tool because they can deceive, manipulate, and strike anyone. I can defend myself. Many others cannot." Meloni stresses that internet users should verify before believing, and believe before sharing. "Because today it happens to me, tomorrow it can happen to anyone," she adds. Deepfakes disproportionately affect women: pop star Taylor Swift recently filed a trademark application to protect her image from AI deepfakes. In 2024, explicit AI images of Swift went viral on X (formerly Twitter), prompting the platform to block searches for the singer.

'Think before sharing,' Giorgia Meloni says as AI-made lingerie image of her goes viral

Italian prime minister had received wave of criticism from people who believed deepfake pictures of her were real Italy's prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, has criticised the circulation of AI-generated deepfake images of her, including one depicting her in lingerie, after they were widely shared online. Meloni wrote on Facebook on Tuesday: "In recent days, several fake images of me have been circulating, generated using artificial intelligence and passed off as real by some overzealous opponents. "I must admit that whoever created them... even improved my appearance quite a bit," she joked. "But the fact remains that, in order to attack and spread falsehoods, people are now willing to use absolutely anything." In her post, Meloni shared an AI-generated image showing her apparently dressed in lingerie, seated on a bed - a fabrication that had gone viral and prompted a wave of condemnation from users who believed it to be genuine. One user wrote: "That a prime minister should present herself in such a state is truly shameful. Unworthy of the institutional role she holds. She has no sense of shame." In her statement, Meloni denounced what she described as a form of cyberbullying, warning that AI-generated images were an increasingly dangerous tool capable of misleading and harming individuals. "The issue goes beyond me," she added. "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." The fight against the risks posed by AI and deepfakes has become a central plank of the agenda of Meloni's far-right government. Last September, Italy became the first EU country to approve a comprehensive law regulating the use of AI, introducing prison terms for those who deploy the technology to cause harm -- including the creation of deepfakes -- and placing limits on children's access. Meloni's government said the legislation, aligned with the bloc's landmark EU AI Act, marked a decisive step in shaping how artificial intelligence was developed and used across the country. The law followed a scandal over a pornographic website that published doctored images of prominent Italian women, including Meloni and the opposition leader Elly Schlein, which triggered outrage in Italy. The images - lifted from social media or public appearances and altered with vulgar, sexist captions - were shared on a platform with more than 700,000 subscribers. Many showed female politicians across party lines, manipulated to emphasise body parts or imply sexualised poses. The Italian police ordered the site to be shut down, while prosecutors in Rome opened an investigation over alleged offences including the unlawful dissemination of sexually explicit images (so-called revenge porn), defamation and extortion.

Watch: Meloni's AI warning highlights Europe's fight against 'nudification' apps

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni this week highlighted the dangers of sophisticated AI-generated deepfakes. At the same time, the EU is moving to outlaw "nudification" apps and strengthen protections. It was a bold move by Giorgia Meloni. This week, the Italian Prime Minister posted an AI-generated image of herself in underwear, a picture that had already been circulating on social media. It was intended as a warning: if this can happen to a head of government, it can happen to anyone. However, the European Union has already been working to tackle deep fakes. So what exactly is changing? On Thursday, the EU reached a deal to ban so-called "nudification" apps -- the tools used to create non-consensual sexually explicit images and videos through artificial intelligence. The move matters because, while public figures may have lawyers and platforms at their disposal, most victims do not have such resources at hand. The measure is part of a wider revision of the AI Act, the EU's flagship legislation on artificial intelligence. The broader overhaul aims to streamline the original rules and make them less burdensome for companies developing AI technologies. EU legislation usually advances at a glacial pace. But on this issue, Brussels has sped up the process. The ban on "nudification" apps is expected to become fully enforceable across the bloc by December. What if you become a victim before then? For now, existing privacy laws still offer some protection, particularly the EU's GDPR framework. Because your image is considered personal data, individuals can invoke the "right to erasure" -- a legal mechanism to force platforms to remove fake content. At Euronews, we know this all too well. Our journalists and reporting have repeatedly been targeted by AI-generated fakes, with voices manipulated and images stolen by coordinated disinformation campaigns or even outlets like Russia Today. We report these incidents whenever they occur. And if you find a deepfake of yourself, the advice is simple: do not wait to act - you should report it too.

Italy's Meloni warns over AI deepfakes after false photos circulate

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has raised concerns about fake images of her created using artificial intelligence. These deepfakes are circulating online and being used by political opponents. Meloni highlighted the danger of such false content, stating it can deceive and manipulate people who cannot defend themselves. She urged the public to verify online content before believing or sharing it. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Tuesday that fake images of her generated by artificial intelligence were circulating online, warning that such false photos could deceive the public and target people unable to defend themselves. Assembly Elections 2026 Election Results 2026 Live Updates: Who's ahead in which stateWest Bengal Election Results 2026 Live UpdatesTN Election Result 2026 Live Updates Meloni said in a ⁠statement ⁠that several fake photos of her had been created with AI and passed off as real by political opponents. She posted one such image appearing to show her sitting on a bed wearing underwear. The original post included outraged comment that the photo was ⁠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. 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.