Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she wants to hold a special AI-focused session of G7 members before the first leaders’ summit, scheduled for June.
Italy, one of the first European countries to effectively ban OpenAI’s popular chatbot ChatGPT, will address the topic of artificial intelligence (AI) as one of the priorities of its Group of Seven (G7) presidency, which runs from January to December.
On Dec. 4, 2023, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni held a press conference in which she outlined the key priorities for the country during its 12-month G7 presidency. These include supporting African development, backing Ukraine and addressing issues around AI. Meloni said of the challenges posed by AI:
While the Italian prime minister didn’t elaborate on specific concerns about AI, she revealed an intention to hold a special AI-focused session of G7 members before the first leaders’ summit in June. The topic of AI’s influence on the labor market has occupied the Italian government for some time. In May 2023, the country allocated 30 million euros ($33 million) toward the Fondo per la Repubblica Digitale (FRD) to enhance the capabilities of the unemployed and those whose jobs are at risk of automation and AI takeover.
