Giorgia Meloni's Italy became the first European country to pass a comprehensive national law on AI ahead of the EU's AI law.
This news has been making headlines recently, but it is important for a number of reasons. Firstly, Italy is not exactly the vanguard of technology and regulations. Secondly, it raises an important dilemma. Does it make sense for Member States to advance their own regulations when there is already a community-wide framework?
Italian law addresses the highly talked about issues of deepfakes, digital transparency, protection of minors, labeling AI-generated content, and heavy Fineson companies that don't comply. In fact, it is an early translation of the spirit of AI law, but with similar levels of detail and power as Spain's recent proposals on labeling. The difference is that Italy is not limited to iconic announcements. It has already turned the proposal into law.
Comparisons are what appears immediately. While Italy has approved its own laws, Spain continues to discuss future AI laws and the role of AISIA. Spanish AI supervisory bodies have a structure, but their true role is still defined, and their ability to monitor and sanction companies in such complex areas is unknown. Meanwhile, the government…
