Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni demands €100,000 in damages after AI-generated deepfake video surfaces online

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is taking bold action against the misuse of artificial intelligence via deepfake technology. She is seeking €100,000 (approx Rs 90 lakh) in damages from the accused for her fake pornographic video that was viewed millions of times on the US pornographic website.

As per a report by BBC, PM Meloni will appear in court in Sassari, Sardinia on July 2 to testify against the defendants. A 40-year-old man is accused of using PM Meloni’s face to create an explicit video using deepfake technology. His 73-year-old father is also implicated in the investigation. Both men now face charges of defamation, a crime that is punishable in Italy by imprisonment ranging from 6 months to 3 years. As per the report, police have even tracked down the mobile device from which the video was posted.

PM Meloni’s lawyer, Maria Giulia Marongiu, stated that the money was "symbolic" and the demand for compensation was meant to "send a message to women who are victims of this kind of abuse of power not to be afraid to press charges."

Notably, the deepfake video surfaced online back in 2022 when she was appointed as Prime Minister of Italy.

What is a deepfake video?

For the unversed, a deepfake video is a fake video where the face of a person is digitally imposed on someone else with malicious motives. In India, deepfake videos of several famous personalities like actor Akshay Kumar, Rashmika Mandanna, and Alia Bhatt went viral on the internet. These videos are intended to harm the reputation of these celebrities. This artificial intelligence technology is also being used to extort money from people in India.

Recently, in a manipulated video, Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan is shown discussing a loan-waiver scheme for farmers in Madhya Pradesh with a contestant at a television game called “Kon Banega Crorepati”. This led to a negative portrayal of then-CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Deepfake technology has become a major concern, especially since Lok Sabha elections are nearing in India.

Also Read: 

‘Looks like a job interview’: Picture of Apple CEO Tim Cook, Google CEO Sundar Pichai at a restaurant goes viral

Top phones under Rs 20,000 in India: Redmi Note 13, OnePlus Nord CE3 Lite, Nothing Phone (2a) and more