Italy has made history by becoming the first European Union member state to pass a comprehensive law regulating artificial intelligence (AI). This landmark legislation, aligned with the EU's AI Act, aims to foster "human-centric, transparent and safe AI use" while imposing strict penalties for misuse and safeguarding citizens' rights.
Key Takeaways
Italy is the first EU country to implement a national AI law.
Prison sentences of one to five years are introduced for AI misuse causing harm, such as deepfakes.
Children under 14 require parental consent to access AI systems.
Stricter transparency and human oversight rules are mandated across various sectors.
Up to €1 billion is allocated to support domestic AI and related technology companies.
A Human-Centric Approach to AI
The new law, approved after a year of parliamentary debate, prioritises innovation, cybersecurity, and privacy protections. It establishes clear boundaries for AI deployment, ensuring that human decision-making power remains central, particularly in sensitive sectors like healthcare, education, justice, and employment. Employers must inform staff when AI tools are in use, and professionals must disclose AI usage to clients.
Penalties and Copyright Considerations
Significant penalties are in place for AI misuse. Spreading AI-generated or manipulated content that causes harm, such as deepfakes, can result in prison sentences ranging from one to five years. Crimes like fraud and identity theft committed using AI will face harsher penalties. Regarding copyright, works created with AI assistance are protected if they demonstrate genuine intellectual effort. AI-driven text and data mining are permitted only for non-copyrighted content or for scientific research by authorised institutions.
Enforcement and Investment
The Agency for Digital Italy (AGID) and the National Cybersecurity Agency (ACN) are tasked with enforcing the legislation. The Department for Digital Transformation will develop a national AI strategy. To stimulate domestic innovation, the government has earmarked up to €1 billion from a state-backed venture capital fund to support companies in AI, cybersecurity, quantum technologies, and telecommunications. However, some critics argue this amount is modest compared to investments made by global competitors like the US and China.
Balancing Innovation and Protection
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has emphasised an "Italian way" of governing AI, focusing on ethical rules that prioritise people and their rights. While supporters hail the law as a pragmatic balance between robust safeguards and room for experimentation, digital rights advocates have raised concerns that government agencies, rather than an independent regulator, will oversee the technology, potentially leading to censorship risks.