Italy first in EU to pass comprehensive law regulating use of AI

Italy has become the first European Union member state to approve comprehensive artificial intelligence legislation, establishing criminal penalties for harmful AI use whilst promoting innovation within ethical frameworks.

Context and Background

Giorgia Meloni’s rightwing government has positioned the legislation as aligning with the EU’s landmark AI Act, introducing prison sentences of one to five years for illegal distribution of AI-generated content that causes harm. The law emphasises “human-centric, transparent and safe AI use” whilst promoting innovation, cybersecurity and privacy protections.

The legislation establishes specific protections for children, requiring parental consent for under-14s to access AI systems, and introduces stricter transparency requirements across sectors including healthcare, education, justice and sport. Criminal penalties now extend to using AI for fraud, identity theft, and generating harmful deepfakes.

Copyright provisions protect works created with AI assistance when originating from genuine intellectual effort, whilst restricting AI-driven text and data mining to non-copyrighted content or authorised scientific research.

Looking Forward

The government has designated the Agency for Digital Italy and National Cybersecurity Agency to enforce the legislation, which received parliamentary approval after a year of debate. Up to €1 billion from a state-backed venture capital fund has been authorised to support companies developing AI, cybersecurity and telecommunications technologies.

Prime Minister Meloni previously described AI as “the greatest revolution of our time” but emphasised the need for ethical frameworks focusing on people’s rights and needs. Critics note the funding allocation remains modest compared to investments from the United States and China.

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