Italy Passes Law to Regulate AI Use, with Imposed Prison Terms for Harmful Actions

Italy has become the first country in the EU to approve a comprehensive law regulating the use of artificial intelligence (AI) with the aim of promoting human-centric, transparent, and safe AI use. The new legislation, which aligns with the EU’s landmark AI Act, will also impose prison terms on those who use AI to cause harm, such as generating deepfakes, and limit child access to the technology.

The bill, approved by Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing government, introduces prison sentences of one to five years for the illegal spreading of AI-generated or manipulated content if it causes harm. Harsher penalties will also be imposed for using AI to commit crimes like fraud and identity theft. Additionally, stricter transparency and human oversight rules will govern the use of AI in workplaces, as well as in various sectors such as healthcare, education, justice, and sport.

One of the most significant provisions of the law is that children under the age of 14 will need parental consent to access AI. When it comes to copyright, the law protects works created with AI assistance if they originate from genuine intellectual effort. Text and data mining will only be permitted for non-copyrighted content and scientific research by authorized institutions.

Undersecretary for Digital Transformation, Alessio Butti, stated that the law “brings innovation back within the perimeter of the public interest, steering AI towards growth, rights, and full protection of citizens.” The government has assigned the Agency for Digital Italy and the National Cybersecurity Agency to enforce the legislation, which received final approval in parliament after a year of debate.

In March of last year, addressing the theme of AI, Meloni emphasized that there must be an Italian way to develop and govern AI. She considered AI to be the greatest revolution of our time, but stressed that its full potential can only be achieved within a framework of ethical rules that prioritize people’s rights and needs.

The law also authorizes up to €1 billion from a state-backed venture capital fund to support companies involved in AI, cybersecurity, and telecommunications. However, some critics argue that the amount is small compared to investments being made by the US and China.