Italy’s parliament has approved a new law governing the use of AI which are aligned to the EU’s AI act.
The law puts rules into place covering healthcare, work, public administration and justice and are designed to ensure the safe use of AI whilst still ensuring innovation, privacy and security.
The new rules also limit access to AI technology for young people, requiring parental consent for those under 14.
The Italian government has designated the Agency for Digital Italy and the National Cybersecurity Agency as national authorities on AI development, while watchdogs including the Bank of Italy and market regulator Consob retain their powers.
Under the new rules, harmful AI-generated content such as deepfakes can be punished with a prison sentence of up to five years.
Around 1 billion euros has been made available for a state-backed venture capital fund for equity investments in small-to-medium enterprises and large companies active in AI, cybersecurity, quantum technologies and telecoms.
In the healthcare sector, the government said AI can assist diagnosis and care under certain conditions and doctors will retain final decision-making. Patients will keep their right to be informed when AI technology is used.
“This (law) brings innovation back within the perimeter of the public interest, steering AI toward growth, rights and full protection of citizens,” said Alessio Butti, the undersecretary for digital transformation.
