Italy’s first law on artificial intelligence takes effect

Italy’s new Law, effective since 10 October 2025, aims to clarify the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in various sectors (including healthcare, law, public administration and employment) and promote responsible technological development based on a human-centric approach. It marks an important moment in Italy and the wider region, as countries start to implement Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (the ‘EU AI Act’) into local law and create frameworks to tackle this new area.  

The measure, consisting of 28 articles, does not introduce any new obligations beyond those provided for in the EU AI Act, but contains a series of general principles such as transparency, proportionality, security and privacy that must be applied to the various phases/stages of activity of AI systems and models: research, experimentation, development, adoption, and application. 

In this regard, the Law specifies that such systems must be designed, implemented and used in a way that respects human autonomy and decision-making powers, ensuring that humans can intervene, control and supervise at every stage. 

In the context of the workplace, the new Law confirms that the use of AI must aim to improve working conditions, protect the physical and mental health of workers, optimise organisational processes and increase productivity. Further, the use of AI must be reliable, safe and transparent, and there is an obligation on the part of the employer or client (in the context of self-employment and collaboration agreements) to clearly inform workers, in accordance with the terms and conditions already laid down in other Italian legislation (namely Legislative Decree 152/1997, as amended by the so-called Transparency Decree). It should be noted that this provision requires employers to inform workers about the use of “fully automated decision-making or monitoring systems” intended to impact the recruitment phase or, more generally, the overall management of the employment relationship until its termination. 

The new Law also clarifies that AI in the management and organisation of the employment relationship may not violate the privacy of employees or be used to make discriminatory decisions based on gender, age, ethnic origin, religious belief, sexual orientation, political opinions or personal, social or economic conditions. 

In order to promote the informed, responsible, and inclusive adoption of AI in the workplace, an Observatory has been set up at the Italian Ministry of Labour, tasked with: 

• monitoring the impact of AI on the labour market and identifying the sectors most affected by its use; 

• proposing strategies for the use of technological systems in the workplace; 
• fostering training for employers and employees. 

Identification of the components, operating procedures, and additional prerogatives of this watchdog body has been left to a ministerial decree which is to be adopted by 8 January 2026. 

Finally, the new Law specifically regulates the use of AI in ‘intellectual professions’, where it must be limited to instrumental and support functions and in any case ensure the prevalence of human oversight. ‘Intellectual professions’ are primarily based on intellectual work and specialist knowledge, as opposed to manual labour. They include activities undertaken by, for example, lawyers, medical practitioners, engineers and architects, for which registration with a relevant professional body is often required. 

Such professionals are required to inform their clients about the use of AI in a clear, simple and comprehensive manner. 

Italy’s new Law regulating AI represents an important, necessary step, whilst also allowing scope for further refinement. It does do by delegating to the Government the power to adopt implementing regulations for the EU AI Act and measures to identify unlawful cases of the creation and use of AI systems.