Italy Adopts Artificial Intelligence Law
On September 23, 2025, the Italian law on artificial intelligence was signed into law, following its final approval by the Italian Senate on September 17, 2025. The law will officially take effect on October 10, 2025 and includes a range of provisions aimed at regulating AI within Italy while complementing the existing EU Artificial Intelligence Act.
Key Provisions of the Italian AI Law
The Italian AI Law is structured to include general principles and specific rules targeted at sectors not adequately addressed by the EU AI Act.
Relationship with the EU AI Act
The Italian AI Law is designed to operate alongside the EU AI Act, ensuring that its rules and definitions are applied consistently.
Designation of Competent Authorities
Two main authorities are established under the Italian AI Law:
- Agency for Digital Italy (AgID): This authority will manage notifications, assessments, accreditations, and monitoring of notified bodies.
- National Cybersecurity Agency (ACN): This agency will oversee market surveillance and enforcement activities.
Healthcare and Scientific Research
The law permits the secondary use of personal data (including sensitive data) for public interest and not-for-profit research, allowing AI systems to support disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment without needing renewed consent from data subjects. Key requirements include:
- Transparency obligations met by posting privacy notices on the data controller’s website.
- Communication of processing activities to the Italian data protection authority, enabling processing to commence 30 days post-notification unless blocked.
Employment Regulations
Employers are mandated to inform employees about the usage of AI systems and ensure adequate training is provided.
Protection of Minors
Parental consent is required for AI technology access by children under 14, while minors aged 14 to 18 can consent themselves, provided the information is understandable.
Copyright Considerations
The Italian AI Law introduces amendments to copyright legislation, allowing:
- Protection of works created with AI tools if they result from the author’s intellectual effort.
- Permitting text and data mining of online works through AI models, subject to copyright rules and owners’ opt-out rights.
Key Changes from Previous Drafts
Notable modifications include:
- No localization requirement: The final version excludes a prior localization amendment for public sector AI system servers, instead recommending that public sector bodies prefer suppliers that ensure localization of strategic data.
- No labeling provision for AI-generated content: The omission of a proposal to label AI-generated news or information aligns with existing transparency requirements under the EU AI Act.
Future Directions
The Italian AI Law empowers the government to implement additional measures within a year of its enactment to:
- Align the national framework with the EU AI Act.
- Assign supervisory and sanctioning powers to the designated authorities.
- Develop comprehensive guidelines regarding data usage and algorithm training for AI systems.
- Establish rules for AI use in investigations and policing.
- Update civil and criminal penalty frameworks.
This comprehensive legal framework marks a significant step in regulating artificial intelligence in Italy, reflecting a commitment to innovation while safeguarding public interests and rights.
