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: There are far worse AI slop pictures and videos of "her" completely nude and videos of "her" having sex. Her complaining about it will now produce x1000 times more that are x1000 more obscene. — K (@ThatSpringerNH) May 6, 2026 Non so se ci fosse un modo migliore di reagire di quello che hai fatto tu! — Niklas Morgenstern (@KampfDackelROMA) May 5, 2026 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: Giorgia Meloni tells court deepfake porn videos of her are 'a form of violence against women' as she demands those responsible are punished https://t.co/NXjOz4BCdd pic.twitter.com/B0VvuQCe7D — Daily Mail (@DailyMail) October 9, 2024 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