As a relatively conservative leader among Europe’s largely far-left political bloc, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has become accustomed to rocking the boat from time to time.

But even by her standards, a recent image she shared on social media struck some as over the top … at least until they realized what was actually going on.

The Daily Caller provided some context:

Meloni published the image on her social media Tuesday. The image appeared to show the prime minister in scanty underclothes. Meloni paired her post with a screenshot of a social media user who had allegedly shared the image and declared her appearance “shameful and unworthy of the institutional role she holds,” according to a translation from Euronews.

“Several fake photos of me — generated using artificial intelligence and passed off as real by some overzealous opponent — are currently circulating,” Meloni wrote on X, according to a translation viewed by the Daily Caller. “I must admit that whomever created them — at least in the case attached here — actually improved my appearance quite a bit.”

Meloni told followers, “Deepfakes are a dangerous tool, as they have the power to deceive, manipulate and target anyone. I am able to defend myself. Many others are not.”

Some applauded her effort to bring attention to the issue while others speculated that this could lead to a wave of new deepfake images:

Here’s the original post from above translated to English:

In these days, several fake photos of me are circulating, generated with artificial intelligence and passed off as real by some zealous opponent.

I must admit 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.

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

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

And this is the reply:

I don’t know if there was a better way to react than what you did!

This wasn’t the first time Meloni has expressed concerns about the use of AI to create fake content featuring her likeness:

Here’s what AP News added:

It’s not the first time that the likeness of Meloni, Italy’s first female premier, has made waves. In February, a minor church-state scandal erupted after a cherub bearing a striking appearance to Meloni appeared in a Roman church.

Then, Meloni made light of the manipulation.

“No, I definitely don’t look like an angel,” Meloni wrote on social media with a laughing/crying emoji alongside a photo of the work.

And here’s some additional commentary:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmKkLke2Ick

This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport. View the original article here.
 

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