Italian PM Giorgia Meloni Trademarks Her Voice to Combat AI Deepfakes

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has filed an application to trademark her voice with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) to safeguard herself against artificial intelligence deepfakes.

The application, confirmed by Meloni's office, was submitted on Monday. As part of the process, she recorded a four-second audio clip saying "Io sono Giorgia" – "I am Giorgia Meloni" in Italian – twice.

Meloni's move follows similar actions by other prominent figures. In January, American actor Matthew McConaughey trademarked his image and voice. In April, singer Taylor Swift filed three trademark applications in the U.S., including audio clips of herself and a photo from her Eras Tour.

Last August, over 80 performers, including actors Matt Lucas, Hugh Bonneville, and Nicola Coughlan, urged British Prime Minister Andy Burnham to implement legislation granting individuals legal ownership of their voices to prevent unauthorized AI use.

Voice cloning technology involves training AI on recordings of individuals. While basic clones can be generated from a few seconds of audio, high-quality imitations typically require hours of source material.

Meloni's decision comes ahead of Italy's general elections next year. The phrase "Io sono Giorgia" is notably linked to her 2021 autobiography and her political campaigns.

This effort to protect her digital identity follows a previous legal action where Meloni sought €100,000 (approximately $107,000) in damages after deepfake pornography featuring her likeness was uploaded online. In May, she publicly warned about the dangers of deepfakes after AI-generated images of her in lingerie circulated online.

"The point, however, goes beyond me," Meloni stated on social media. "Deepfakes are a dangerous tool, because they can deceive, manipulate, and strike anyone. I can defend myself. Many others cannot."