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Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has taken an unprecedented legal step to prevent the unauthorized use of her voice on “superintelligence” and artificial intelligence platforms, as well as digital impersonations. In an application confirmed by the Prime Minister’s Office, Meloni officially registered a four-second audio recording in which she says “Io sono Giorgia” twice, meaning “I am Giorgia” in Italian.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports that the Italian prime minister is not the only public figure taking steps to protect voice rights.
U.S. actor Matthew McConaughey and singer Taylor Swift have also filed similar applications to guard against the unauthorized digital reproduction of their signatures, images and voice recordings. In the United Kingdom, more than 80 prominent figures from the arts, including Matt Lucas and Hugh Bonneville, have urged the government to strengthen legislation protecting voice rights.
Experts say voice clones created using “superintelligence” technologies are based on audio recordings of real people. Basic versions can be produced from just a few seconds of voice samples, while more accurate imitations require hours of source material.
Meloni’s decision to register her voice comes ahead of Italy’s general election next year. The phrase “Io sono Giorgia” is considered one of the main slogans of her political campaigns. In 2024, the Italian prime minister also went to court seeking 100,000 euros in damages over false content about her circulated online using malicious deepfake images.
