The AI Bill and New Investment Opportunities

Introduction: The Artificial Intelligence Bill

This article examines the key provisions of the Artificial Intelligence Bill (“AI Bill”), approved by the Italian Senate on March 20, 2025, and transmitted to the Chamber of Deputies for further legislative proceedings. The AI Bill aims to strike a balance between the opportunities and risks of emerging technologies by introducing both general principles and sector-specific regulations.

According to the explanatory report attached to the Bill, the approach is twofold:

Promoting a correct, transparent, and responsible use of artificial intelligence (“AI”) with a human-centered perspective, to fully harness its vast potential;
Ensuring proper oversight of the economic and social risks as well as the impact on fundamental rights.

The AI Bill implements at the national level Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 on artificial intelligence (“AI Act”) and aims to protect fundamental rights, democracy, the rule of law, and environmental sustainability based on the level of risk and impact, while also encouraging innovation to improve citizens’ well-being.

The core purpose of the Bill is to place human self-determination at the center of all activities related to the development and use of AI systems and models. It promotes digital sustainability and establishes that AI systems must respect, among other things, human autonomy and decision-making power.

Article 3 of the AI Bill safeguards digital sustainability, affirming that AI must not undermine the democratic life of the country and its institutions, including the democratic processes through which citizens influence national policy.

Strategic Sectors for National Development

The AI Bill includes targeted provisions for strategic sectors such as healthcare, labor, justice, intellectual professions, disability, and public administration (“PA”). These ensure that AI is adopted not only to seize opportunities but also to manage and mitigate associated risks.

Specifically, the Bill contains provisions concerning:

Scientific research and experimentation in developing AI systems in the healthcare sector. Research activities of public interest may proceed without renewed consent if the research scope changes, provided the Data Protection Authority is informed.
Electronic health records, healthcare surveillance systems, and digital health governance. The Bill establishes an AI platform to support healthcare professionals, doctors, and users in accessing services.
Labor: AI can be used to improve working conditions, safeguard workers’ physical and mental well-being, enhance job performance and productivity, in compliance with EU law. All AI use in the workplace must be safe, reliable, transparent, and must not infringe on human dignity or personal data privacy. Employers must inform workers about the use of AI when applicable.
Intellectual professions: AI systems may only be used to support and assist professional activities, where intellectual input remains primary. To preserve trust between professional and client, professionals must clearly and thoroughly disclose the use of AI systems.
Public administration (PA): AI may be used to improve efficiency and enhance the quantity and quality of services provided to citizens and businesses.
Judiciary: AI systems may only be used to organize and streamline judicial work or support legal research. Judges retain sole authority for interpreting laws, assessing facts and evidence, and issuing rulings.
Cybersecurity: The Bill enhances the role of AI as a national asset to strengthen cybersecurity.

National AI Strategy and Regulatory Authorities

The AI Bill also introduces the National AI Strategy, a document designed to ensure cooperation between the public and private sectors, aligning public administration actions and economic incentives for entrepreneurial and industrial development. This strategy is drafted and updated by the Department for Digital Transformation under the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and approved at least biennially by the Interministerial Committee for Digital Transition (CITD).

To ensure the implementation of both national and EU AI regulations, the Bill establishes national AI authorities:

The Agency for Digital Italy (AgID) to promote innovation and development of AI, and
The National Cybersecurity Agency (ACN) to oversee AI security aspects.

Promotion Actions and Support Measures for Youth and Sports

The draft law (DDL) authorizes an annual expenditure of €300,000 for each of the years 2025 and 2026 for the implementation of experimental projects aimed at applying AI to services provided to citizens and businesses abroad, such as consular services, international promotion of Italian companies, and the provision of predictive scenarios regarding political, economic, and security conditions.

It also includes incentive measures to encourage the return to Italy of young people working abroad in the field of AI research, thereby enhancing Italian human capital for the country’s social, cultural, and economic development.

To further promote youth education in these technologies, the DDL allows for the inclusion of activities aimed at acquiring additional skills through learning experiences at higher education institutions in the personalized education plan (“PDP”) adopted by upper secondary schools for students with high cognitive potential.

Finally, support measures for sports are included, recognizing AI’s undeniable ability to enhance awareness and knowledge, which are essential for facilitating access to sports for people with disabilities, as well as organizing sports activities for everyone. Therefore, the measure enables access to AI systems for psycho-physical well-being through sports activities, including the development of innovative solutions aimed at greater inclusion of people with disabilities in sports.

The Creation and Development of National “Unicorns”

In line with the national strategy, the DDL provides for investments totaling €1 billion to support the development, growth, and consolidation of companies:

with registered and operational headquarters in Italy, and
operating in the fields of AI, cybersecurity, and quantum computing, as well as enabling technologies in these fields, and in the communications sector, particularly with regard to 5G and its evolutions, mobile edge computing, open architectures based on software solutions, Web3, signal processing, including aspects related to the security and integrity of electronic communication networks.

The investment mobilization is based on a strategy built on three pillars:

Creation of technology transfer hubs specialized in AI, cybersecurity, and quantum computing, supporting the establishment of new entities in the AI sector. Investments will focus on vertical specialized hubs, alongside investments in dedicated venture capital funds.
Investments in startups in both early-stage and late-stage development through three approaches:
i) coordination with sector-specific funds focused on particular industries to strengthen the vertical applications of investments;
ii) autonomous investments in startups operating in less defined or specific sectors;
iii) investments in venture capital funds that focus their activity on startups operating in specific fields.
Initiatives for the creation and development of national champions or AI “unicorns”, through supporting the creation of new startups—starting from research—and identifying one or more existing startups to invest in to support their growth.

The DDL also specifies that such investments will be made through the establishment of one or more funds specifically dedicated to the AI, cybersecurity, and quantum computing sectors, as well as through co-investments from other funds managed by CDP Venture Capital SGR, to be used according to the investment methods defined by the Decree of the Ministry of Economic Development dated June 27, 2019, whose implementing regulation is being updated.

In addition to the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy as an investor, representatives from the Presidency of the Council of Ministers responsible for technological innovation and digital transition, and the National Cybersecurity Agency, will participate in the governing bodies of the venture capital funds based on their respective areas of expertise.

Conclusions

In conclusion, the DDL represents a fundamental step for the development of new technologies in Italy, aiming to improve citizens’ quality of life and to identify risk management solutions based on a human-centered vision. The European Union is also actively engaged in AI development, as highlighted in the European Commission’s press release of March 28, 2025, which announced a €1.3 billion investment in AI, cybersecurity, and digital skills. As the DDL proceeds through its legislative process, it is up to citizens—both Italian and European—to reflect on the ethical, legal, and social implications of the rapid advancement of AI-based technologies.

Sources:
Senate of the Republic website:
https://www.senato.it/japp/bgt/showdoc/19/SommComm/0/1435866/index.html?part=doc_dc-allegato_a:1
European Commission website:
https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/it/news/commission-invest-eu13-billion-artificial-intelligence-cybersecurity-and-digital-skills

[DISCLAIMER: The content of this article is intended for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice.]