Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has condemned the spread of a deepfake image showing her in lingerie, saying it was created using artificial intelligence to attack and manipulate her.

She posted the altered photo on Facebook alongside criticism of the person who shared it and warned that such content can deceive and harm people.

Meloni said she is able to defend herself but emphasized that many others are more vulnerable to similar online abuse.

She also stressed the broader danger of deepfakes being used to spread falsehoods and target public figures, the AP has reported.

The incident is the latest in a series of image-related controversies involving Meloni, who has previously responded to manipulated depictions of herself with humor.