Italy has become the first European Union country to enact a comprehensive national law on artificial intelligence, ahead of the European AI Act.

Approved on September 17 by Parliament and promoted by Giorgia Meloni’s government, the legislation aims to balance technological innovation with the protection of fundamental rights. 

The law emphasizes transparency, human oversight, and cybersecurity as pillars of ethical artificial intelligence development.

Systems used in critical sectors such as health, justice, public administration, education, and sports must be traceable and supervised by humans. Additionally, access for children under 14 is restricted, requiring parental consent. 

Alessio Butti, Undersecretary for Digital Transformation, stated that the legislation seeks to “reintegrate innovation within the perimeter of public interest,” establishing a framework combining state control with technological promotion.

The Italian Digital Agency and the National Cybersecurity Agency are designated as regulatory authorities. 

What penalties does the law impose?

The law introduces criminal penalties for malicious dissemination of AI-generated content, including deepfakes, with one to five years in prison if harm is caused. It also regulates intellectual property, protecting AI-assisted works as long as they include human creative input, and limits data mining for authorized scientific research. 

To stimulate the technology ecosystem, a venture capital fund of up to one billion euros was approved, aimed at companies working in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and quantum technologies. In health and workplace sectors, AI may assist in diagnostics and management, while final decisions remain with human professionals, ensuring patients and employees are properly informed. 

With this legislation, Italy takes a decisive step toward ethical governance of artificial intelligence, positioning itself as a European benchmark in AI regulation and technological development.