Italy on Monday set aside 30 million euros to upskill the unemployed, as well as those workers whose jobs may be most threatened by advances in automation and artificial intelligence, Reuters and News.ro reported.

Representatives of the Fondo per la Repubblica Digitale (FRD), set up in 2021 by the government in Rome to improve the digital skills of Italians, say that 54% of people aged 16 to 74 lack basic digital skills compared to the average. 46% in the European Union.

Funding for worker training will be distributed in two ways, FRD said. Of the total, €10 million will go towards upskilling those whose jobs are at high risk of being replaced by automation and technological innovation.

The remaining €20 million will be allocated to help unemployed and economically inactive people develop digital skills that will improve their chances of entering the labor market, FRD said.

There is growing concern that artificial intelligence will replace humans

Automation could threaten a wide range of jobs, FRD said, citing sectors such as transport and logistics, office support and administration, manufacturing, services and the retail sector.

The proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, as well as the rapid development of tools such as ChatGPT, have attracted the attention of legislators and regulators in several countries, and the issue is being addressed, including at the level of the European Union.

Many experts say new rules are needed to regulate AI because of its potential impact on national security and education, as well as jobs.

The ChatGPT chatbot was unavailable in Italy for about four weeks until its maker, OpenAI, responded to questions raised by the Italian data protection authority in late April.

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