Italy has gone back and forth on the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) after the country's lawmakers announced funding for those at risk of losing their jobs to automation.
On May 15, Italian officials allocated 30 million euros ($33 million) to the Fondo per la Repubblica Digitale (FRD) to empower the unemployed and those whose jobs are at risk of automation and AI takeover.
FRD was originally established by the Italian government in 2021 with the mission of improving digital skills and "developing the country's digital transformation". According to the foundation, 54% of Italians aged 16 to 74 do not have basic digital skills, compar ed with an EU average of 46%. While two-thirds of the funding will first go to helping the unemployed develop digital skills to enter the job market, $10 million will go to those already at risk of being replaced by AI.
The FRD singled out specialized industries classified as at high risk of AI substitution, including "transportation and logistics, office and administrative support, production, service and sales sectors". The development comes after Italy became one of the first countries to briefly ban the use of the artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT. The original ban came after a data breach of the AI system resulted in a breach of user data.
Italian regulators have asked OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, to increase transparency and enforce strict guidelines before lifting the ban. The application re-entered the country after meeting such criteria on April 29, nearly a month after the ban.
Although only banned for a month, the move has sparked officials in Europe and around the world to consider policy on artificial intelligence. German regulators followed suit, launching an investigation into ChatGPT's General Data Protection Regulation compliance. Members of the European Parliament are currently voting on A new artificial intelligence bill that will be one of the first regulations for emerging AI technologies.
