Giorgia Meloni sues father-son duo over pornographic deepfake

Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who became the most popular foreign dignitary on social media in India in recent months, has initiated stern action against the misuse of Artificial Intelligence (AI) through deepfake technology.

The ‘Brothers of Italy’ co-founder is seeking €100,000 ($109,000) in damages for a pornographic video that has been viewed millions of times on US pornographic sites.

The deepfake video first surfaced online back in 2022 when she was appointed as Prime Minister of Italy.

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According to reports, PM Meloni will appear in court in Sassari, Sardinia, about 800 km across Rome through the Tyrrhenian Sea on July 2 to testify against the defendants.

Giorgia Meloni deepfake video: Man, 40, his 73-year-old father implicated

A man, 40, has been accused of using Prime Minister Meloni’s face to create a sexually explicit video using the deepfake technology. His 73-year-old father too has been implicated in the massive probe.

But they both could be out of prison between 6 months to 3 years, the maximum punishment for charges of defamation in Italy.

What does it mean?

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s lawyer, Maria Giulia Marongiu said that the money was “symbolic” and the compensation is meant to “send a message to women who are victims of this kind of abuse of power not to be afraid to press charges.”

What is a deepfake video?

A deepfake video is a fake video in which the face of a person, using Artificial Intelligence, is imposed over someone else’s face. Indian actors Rashmika Mandanna, Amitabh Bachchan, and Alia Bhatt’s deepfake videos went viral on the internet and resulted in the government acting fast.

This artificial intelligence technology is also being used to extort money from people in India.

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The deepfake technology has emerged as a major cause of concern as the world continues to move forward in 2024, the biggest year of elections in human history where the role of information dissemination influences the outcomes of voting.