Artificial Intelligence · Italy
Artificial Intelligence - Italy
As an EU member state, Italy is governed first by the directly-applicable EU AI Act, whose prohibited-practice and AI-literacy rules apply since 2 February 2025 and GPAI/governance rules since 2 August 2025. Italy went further by becoming the first EU country to enact a national AI law, Law No. 132/2025 (in force 10 October 2025), which sets human-centric principles, sector rules (health, work, justice, IP), a new deepfake criminal offence, and designates national competent authorities. The law also delegates the Government to issue implementing decrees by October 2026 to build a fuller framework consistent with the EU AI Act.
The risk-based EU AI Act applies directly in Italy: banned practices and AI-literacy duties since 2 Feb 2025, GPAI and governance obligations since 2 Aug 2025, with high-risk obligations phasing in to 2026-2027.
Law No. 132/2025, published in Gazzetta Ufficiale n. 223 of 25 Sept 2025 and in force from 10 Oct 2025, is the first national AI law in the EU; it sets principles (transparency, human oversight, non-discrimination, data protection) and is expressly designed to complement Regulation (EU) 2024/1689.
AgID (Agency for Digital Italy) is the notifying authority promoting AI development; the National Cybersecurity Agency (ACN) is the market-surveillance authority handling inspections, sanctions and single point of contact with EU bodies. Sector regulators (Bank of Italy, CONSOB, IVASS, Garante data-protection authority, AGCOM) keep their existing powers.
Law 132/2025 sets dedicated provisions for healthcare (no discriminatory access; data protection), employment (employers must inform workers when AI is used), justice (AI only instrumental; decisions remain with magistrates), and copyright (AI-assisted works protected only where genuine human creative contribution exists).
The law inserts Article 612-quater into the Criminal Code punishing unlawful dissemination of AI-generated/altered images, video or voice that unjustly harms a person, with imprisonment from one to five years, plus a new aggravating circumstance (art. 61 no. 11-decies) where AI is used as an insidious means.
Article 16 delegates the Government to adopt implementing decrees by 10 October 2026 establishing an organic framework for data, algorithms and AI training (rights, obligations, remedies, sanctions); the law authorizes up to €1 billion of state-backed venture capital for AI, cybersecurity and telecoms firms.
Machine-assisted translation · verified 5/23/2026 · orientation, not legal advice. English version →