Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has slammed fake images of herself generated by artificial intelligence (AI), calling deepfakes a “dangerous tool” that can target and harm anyone.

The far-right leader posted on her social media accounts on Tuesday one of the fake AI-generated photos she said had been circulating in recent days, showing the premier in scanty bedclothes.

“I have to admit that whoever created them, at least in the case attached, has actually made me look a lot better,” wrote Meloni in her post.

“Deepfakes are a dangerous tool, because they can deceive, manipulate and target anyone. I can defend myself. Many others cannot,” she said.

“Check before you believe, and believe before you share. Because today it’s happening to me; tomorrow it could happen to anyone.”

In her post, Meloni also included a reply from a social media user who appeared to have been misled by the image.

The user wrote that the prime minister’s appearance in such attire was “shameful and unworthy of the institutional role she holds.”

Doctored, sexualised images of the prime minister have surfaced before. Similar incidents occurred last year, when altered images of several high-profile women were circulated on a pornographic website.

In response, the government passed a law that Criminalised deepfakes that caused “unjust harm” to the person depicted.

In 2024, Meloni sued two men for 100,000 euros who produced fake videos of the premier which they then posted on a US pornographic website.

Female politicians around the world have increasingly become victims of such AI-generated deepfake pornography or sexualised images.