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

"Italy has become the first country in the EU to approve a comprehensive law regulating the use of artificial intelligence, including imposing prison terms on those who use the technology to cause harm, such as generating deepfakes, and limiting child access. Giorgia Meloni's rightwing government said the legislation, which aligns with the EU's landmark AI Act, is a decisive move in influencing how AI is used across Italy."

"The aim is to promote human-centric, transparent and safe AI use while emphasising innovation, cybersecurity and privacy protections. The bill introduces prison sentences of between one and five years for the illegal spreading of AI-generated or manipulated content if it causes harm. There will also be harsher penalties for using the technology to commit crimes, including fraud and identity theft, and stricter transparency and human oversight rules governing how the technology is used in workplaces."

"When it comes to copyright, the law stipulates that works created with AI assistance are protected if they originate from genuine intellectual effort, while AI-driven text and data mining will only be permitted for non-copyrighted content or scientific research by authorised institutions. Alessio Butti, the undersecretary for digital transformation, said the law brings innovation back within the perimeter of the public interest, steering AI toward growth, rights and full protection of citizens."

Italy enacted a comprehensive, EU-aligned law regulating artificial intelligence that imposes prison terms for harmful uses such as generating deepfakes and limits child access without parental consent. The law promotes human-centric, transparent and safe AI while emphasising innovation, cybersecurity and privacy protections across sectors including healthcare, education, justice and sport. It sets one-to-five-year sentences for illegal dissemination of AI-generated or manipulated content that causes harm and increases penalties for AI-enabled crimes like fraud and identity theft. Copyright protection is conditional on genuine intellectual effort, and enforcement is assigned to national digital and cybersecurity agencies.

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