The Italian Republic Becomes First in EU to Enact Comprehensive Legislation Governing Use of Artificial Intelligence
Italy has become the initial nation in the European Union to adopt a sweeping regulation governing the application of artificial intelligence, featuring imposing prison terms on those who use the innovation to cause harm, such as producing deepfakes, and limiting youth usage.
The rightwing government declared that the legislation, which aligns with the European Union's landmark Artificial Intelligence Act, is a critical move in shaping how artificial intelligence is utilized across Italy.
The goal is to encourage “people-focused, transparent and secure artificial intelligence usage” while emphasising “progress, digital security and data safeguards”.
The bill establishes prison sentences of between 12 to 60 months for the illegal distribution of AI-generated or manipulated content if it results in injury.
There will also be stricter sanctions for employing the system to commit offenses, such as deception and identity theft, and tighter openness and human oversight rules governing how the technology is used in offices as well as in a range of sectors such as healthcare, education, legal systems and athletics.
In addition, minors under the age of 14 will require parental consent to access artificial intelligence.
When it comes to intellectual property, the law stipulates that creations produced with artificial intelligence support are safeguarded if they stem from genuine creative input, while artificially powered content extraction will only be allowed for non-copyrighted content or academic studies by approved institutions.
A government official said that the act “brings progress back within the scope of the common good, guiding artificial intelligence toward development, rights and full safeguarding of individuals”.
The government has designated national bodies to implement the law, which received its final approval in the legislature after a twelve months of discussion.
Discussing the topic of AI previously, the head of government commented: “There should and will be an Italian way when it comes to artificial intelligence, an Italian way to advance artificial intelligence and an Italian way to regulate artificial intelligence.”
She considered the technology to be “the biggest transformation of our time”, but said it could only achieve its maximum capabilities “if it is created within a framework of ethical rules that prioritize individuals and their rights and needs”.
The law permits up to one billion euros from a government-supported investment scheme to support businesses engaged in artificial intelligence, digital protection and telecommunications, although critics contend the amount is small compared with investments being made by global powers.
