Meloni protects his voice from deepfakes and considers early voting in May
Quick Look
Giorgia Meloni recorded a sample of her voice at the Euipo to protect herself from the risks of audio deepfakes, while the FdI group leader in the Senate Lucio Malan opened up to the possibility of an election day in May together with the municipal elections, specifying however that the legislature could continue until 2027 unless the Head of State intervenes.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Giorgia Meloni is facing growing concerns about the use of deepfakes exploiting her image and voice, as her party weighs scenarios for a possible early vote in the spring, despite claims of legislative continuity until 2027.
The idea of an early vote in the spring has long been at the center of Giorgia Meloni's reasoning. But never had the election day scenario been so clearly explained as one of his loyalists, the FdI group leader in the Senate Lucio Malan, did: "There could be a need to vote in May and it could make sense to vote together with the municipal elections". An exit followed within a couple of hours by a clarification from Malan himself: "As far as we are concerned, the legislature goes to the end, that is, until the autumn of 2027, without prejudice to the prerogatives of the Head of State".
The certain fact is that the electoral campaign, however long it may take, has already begun. And also from this perspective, the Prime Minister has decided to protect herself from the risks of deepfakes, already reported in recent months for a series of false images of hers produced with generative artificial intelligence. The same can happen with sounds, and for this reason Meloni recorded a sample of her voice at the Euipo, the European Union Intellectual Property Office: "I am Giorgia Meloni", repeated twice, four seconds in total, to secure the vocal DNA, as also done in the past by some singers, for example Giusy Ferreri.
The application, presented by the prime minister through a law firm in Rome and a company from the Marche region specialized in the protection of intellectual property, is "under examination" and is linked to three types of services, which include downloadable multimedia content, cultural activities and the organization of political demonstrations.
Meanwhile, Meloni has already clarified that a crossroads for his government is represented by the final vote on the electoral law. If the reform does not pass the secret ballot in the Chamber on Thursday, it will go to the Quirinale.
The Prime Minister (who will be in Croatia at Med9 on Wednesday where she could meet the Spaniard Pedro Sanchez) received the Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa in the afternoon. Then he read the words of Malan, guest of One day as a sheep. "The deadline is five years - said the group leader -, we voted in September and therefore we could vote again in September. The flaw with voting in September is that you have little time for the electoral campaign, and then you have to pass the budget law which is very delicate. Therefore, there could be a need to vote in May and it could make sense to vote together with the municipal elections".
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The electoral law will be submitted to a secret vote in the Chamber by Thursday
Likely · Within days
The government will make an official decision on the timing of the elections within the next few weeks
Possible · Within weeks
Open Questions
- When will the final decision on the electoral law be made?
- What will be the government's official position on early voting after Malan's clarifications?
- Will EUIPO accept voice recording as proof of intellectual property?
- What other measures will the government take against deepfakes besides voice recording?
