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Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has criticised the circulation of manipulated images portraying her, describing the episode as a politically motivated attempt to spread misinformation and warning about the broader risks associated with artificial intelligence-generated content. The scandal started when digitally manipulated photos that were purportedly produced with artificial intelligence started making the rounds on the internet. Some commenters claimed that the pictures, which showed Meloni in unsuitable circumstances, were real.

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Addressing the issue on social media, Meloni said: “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," she said in reference to the photographs' presentation, even though she acknowledged that they were fake. "But the fact remains that, just to attack and invent falsehoods, nowadays anything at all is used," she said, highlighting the fundamental issue.

According to the prime minister, the problem went beyond individual targeting and indicated a more general problem brought on by new technology. “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,” she said.

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Additionally, she advised social media users to exercise cautious when they come across such information. Because of this, one guideline should always be followed: believe before sharing and confirm before believing. Since that happened to me today, anyone may experience it tomorrow," she continued.

Online responses to the photos' dissemination have been mixed, with some users voicing alarm over the spread of false information produced by artificial intelligence.