AI-generated fake video of Italian politicians Elly Schlein and Roberto Vannacci denied

A fabricated video depicting Italian Democratic Party leader Elly Schlein and former general Roberto Vannacci engaged in conversation and laughter at a dinner has been widely shared online. The short clip, presented as an "unexpected off-program moment," was created using artificial intelligence.

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It never happened. We never met. And that dinner never existed.

Schlein immediately debunked the video on social media, stating, "It never happened. We never met. And that dinner never existed." She used the incident to call for a "responsible and ethical use of artificial intelligence," a plea she noted has been echoed by Prime Minister Meloni.

"This small incident gives an idea of the enormous risks of polluting the election campaign through increasingly sophisticated deepfakes," Schlein warned. She urged all political forces to commit to not using AI to falsely attribute words or actions to opponents, emphasizing that while it won't solve all online issues, it's a necessary step.

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This small incident gives an idea of the enormous risks of polluting the election campaign through increasingly sophisticated deepfakes.

The AI content creator, Leonardo Pippa, who published the video, explained the process involved using AI to generate realistic faces, voices, and non-existent situations, making the output indistinguishable from reality. Pippa highlighted how technology that once required extensive professional resources can now be created quickly, stressing that content creators cannot afford to ignore its capabilities for both creation and recognition.

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The video is generated entirely with AI. From home. In a few hours. And that's the point: if you believed it even for two seconds, you just touched firsthand where this technology has arrived.

Schlein also called on social media platforms to "take responsibility and promptly remove deepfakes," warning that such powerful technologies could be used to falsely depict political opponents committing crimes or meeting unknown individuals, thereby distorting campaigns, influencing public opinion, and enabling unprecedented levels of disinformation.

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social media platforms must take responsibility and promptly remove deepfakes.