Italy Allocates Funding for At-Risk Workers

Italy’s back-and-forth with the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) continues following the announcement of funding for those at risk of job loss due to automation.

On May 15, Italian officials allocated 30 million euros ($33 million) to the Fondo per la Repubblica Digitale (FRD) to improve the skills of the unemployed and those whose jobs are at risk of being automated or taken over by artificial intelligence.

The FRD was established by the Italian government in 2021 to enhance digital skills and “develop the country’s digital transition.”

According to the foundation, 54% of Italians between the ages of 16 and 74 lack basic digital skills, compared to the average of 46% in the European Union.

While two-thirds of the funds will be used to help the unemployed develop digital skills to enter the job market, 10 million will be allocated to those already at risk of being replaced by artificial intelligence.

The FRD identified “transport and logistics, office and administrative support, production, services, and the sales sector” as professional industries with a high risk of being replaced by artificial intelligence.

This development occurred after Italy became one of the first nations to temporarily ban the use of the artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT.

The initial ban resulted from a data breach in the AI system that exposed user information.

Before lifting the ban, Italian regulators demanded more transparency from OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, as well as the implementation of stringent guidelines.

The application re-entered the country on April 29 after meeting these requirements, nearly a month after its ban.

Although the ban lasted only one month, it prompted officials in Europe and around the world to consider AI policy. German authorities subsequently initiated an investigation into ChatGPT’s GDPR compliance.

EU lawmakers are currently debating a brand-new AI Act, which would be among the first sets of regulations for emerging AI technology.