The Italian Republic Is First in European Union to Pass Comprehensive Legislation Governing Application of AI

Italy has become the first nation in the European Union to adopt a sweeping law overseeing the application of artificial intelligence, featuring imposing jail sentences on those who use the innovation to cause harm, such as producing synthetic media, and limiting child usage.

The rightwing administration declared that the legislation, which aligns with the EU’s landmark AI Act, is a critical move in influencing how AI is used across Italy.

The goal is to promote “human-centric, transparent and safe AI use” while highlighting “innovation, cybersecurity and data safeguards”.

The legislation introduces prison sentences of between one and five years for the illegal spreading of artificially created or manipulated content if it results in injury.

There will also be stricter penalties for employing the technology to commit offenses, including deception and identity theft, and stricter transparency and manual supervision rules governing how the tool is applied in workplaces as well as in a range of industries such as healthcare, education, legal systems and athletics.

Furthermore, minors under the years of 14 will require parental consent to use AI.

When it comes to copyright, the regulation stipulates that creations created with AI assistance are protected if they originate from authentic intellectual effort, while artificially powered text and data mining will only be permitted for public domain information or academic studies by authorised institutions.

A government official said that the law “returns innovation back within the scope of the common good, steering AI toward development, freedoms and full safeguarding of citizens”.

The government has appointed state-run bodies to implement the law, which received its final approval in the parliament after a twelve months of debate.

Addressing the theme of AI previously, the head of government commented: “There should and will be an national approach when it comes to artificial intelligence, an Italian way to advance artificial intelligence and an local strategy to govern AI.”

She viewed the innovation to be “the biggest transformation of our time”, but said it could only achieve its full potential “if it is developed within a framework of ethical rules that focus on individuals and their entitlements and needs”.

The legislation authorises up to one billion euros from a government-supported venture capital fund to support businesses engaged in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and telecommunications, although critics contend the amount is modest compared with funding being made by global powers.