Roberto Vannacci Shares AI-Undressed Image of Matilde Siracusano, Sparking Italian Political Outrage
Roberto Vannacci, head of Italy's far-right Futuro Nazionale party, posted an altered image on Instagram of his political opponent Matilde Siracusano. The AI-manipulated photo replaced her white top under a floral blazer with a revealing neckline. Siracusano, a member of parliament and undersecretary in Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's coalition, warned of legal repercussions, stating to The Telegraph that using AI to undress women poses "a huge problem for all of us," labeling it "squalid" and "even more deplorable" when perpetrated by a political figure. Vannacci's post aimed to rally support for an upcoming by-election in Reggio Calabria. This incident follows Meloni's May 5 post about deepfakes, highlighting her coalition's four-year tenure and Futuro Nazionale's rise to 8% in polls since February.
Key facts
- Roberto Vannacci leads the far-right Futuro Nazionale party in Italy.
- Vannacci shared an AI-manipulated image of Matilde Siracusano that removed her white top, showing a plunging neckline.
- Siracusano is a member of Italy's parliament and an undersecretary in Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's coalition government.
- Siracusano threatened legal action and called the AI undressing "a huge problem for all of us."
- Vannacci posted the image to urge votes in a by-election in Reggio Calabria.
- Meloni shared an AI-generated image of herself in undress on May 5, saying it was created by a political rival.
- Meloni's coalition has been in office for a record four years; Futuro Nazionale has risen to about 8% in polls since February.
- Meloni passed an AI law aligned with the EU's AI Act, brought a civil case over a deepfake pornographic video, and Rome prosecutors opened an investigation after a website published deepfake images of prominent Italian women.
Entities
Artists
- Roberto Vannacci
- Matilde Siracusano
- Giorgia Meloni
Institutions
- Futuro Nazionale
- Italian parliament
- The Telegraph
- European Union
- EU AI Act
Locations
- Italy
- Reggio Calabria
- Rome
- London