During its January-December presidency of the Group of Seven (G7), Italy is set to prioritize the discussion of artificial intelligence (AI), marking it as one of its main focal points. Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni outlined Italy’s priorities during a press conference on December 4, 2023, which included backing development initiatives in Africa, supporting Ukraine, and addressing AI-related issues. Meloni expressed concerns about AI's impact on the labor market, stating, "I'm very concerned about the impact (of artificial intelligence) on the labor market... Today we are facing a revolution where [human] intelligence is in danger of being replaced."
Although the prime minister didn't delve into specifics about AI-related concerns, she disclosed plans to convene a dedicated meeting among G7 members to discuss AI before the first leaders’ summit scheduled for June. Italy's government has been grappling with the implications of AI on the labor market, with a particular focus on employment challenges. Earlier in May 2023, the country allocated €30 million ($33 million) to the Fondo per la Repubblica Digitale (FRD) to support individuals at risk of job displacement due to automation and AI.
In March 2023, the Italian Data Protection Authority took action to restrict OpenAI, the US company behind ChatGPT, from processing data of local users, citing concerns about the lack of a legal basis to justify extensive data collection and storage during AI algorithm training. However, a month later, ChatGPT fulfilled the requirements, resulting in the lifting of the ban. Despite this, in November, Italy's Data Protection Authority initiated a "fact-finding investigation" aimed at scrutinizing data collection practices utilized for training AI algorithms.
