AI deepfake video falsely showing Italian politicians Schlein and Vannacci dining together spreads online
2026-08-14 | ITA | incident | reputational, safety
Our take
The clip has two rival politicians sharing a meal that never happened. Schlein went on record to confirm she has not, in fact, had dinner with Vannacci.
The facts
An AI-generated deepfake video falsely depicting Italian politicians Elly Schlein and Roberto Vannacci dining together circulated on social media, prompting Schlein to publicly deny the event and warn of the risks AI-generated misinformation poses to democracy and electoral integrity. The incident highlights the potential harm of deepfakes in political contexts.