Italy's Meloni moves to trademark her voice as AI deepfake safeguard

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has filed an application with the European Union Intellectual Property Office to trademark her voice as a safeguard against AI-generated deepfakes. According to EU office records, the application includes a four-second audio recording of Meloni saying, in Italian, "Io sono Giorgia Meloni" ("I am Giorgia Meloni").

The filing was first reported by Italian daily La Repubblica and confirmed by an Italian official who spoke on condition of anonymity. Meloni's move comes as governments, regulators and public figures grapple with the rapid spread of artificial intelligence tools capable of convincingly replicating voices and images. Manipulated images of Meloni have repeatedly circulated online in recent years, including a fake image showing her sitting on a bed in her underwear. Meloni has warned that deepfakes can "deceive, manipulate and harm anyone," urging users to verify online content before sharing it.

Italian media reported that even if the trademark is approved, it will not automatically prevent AI-generated imitations of her voice, but could provide an additional legal tool against unauthorized use. The filing follows a separate legal battle Meloni launched in 2024 against a man accused of creating and posting deepfake pornographic images using her likeness; that case remains pending before an Italian court.