Italy Allocates IDR 482 Billion to Improve Digital Skills and Counter AI Threats

JAKARTA - The Italian government has allocated 30 million euros (around IDR 482 billion) on Monday, May 15 to improve the skills of its unemployed citizens as well as workers whose jobs are most at risk of advances in automation and artificial intelligence (AI).

According to the Fondo per la Repubblica Digitale (FRD), which was founded in 2021 by the Italian government to improve the digital skills of its citizens, 54% of those aged 16-74 do not have basic digital skills, compared to an average of 46% of the population in the European Union. Europe.

"Funds for increased training will be allocated in two ways," FRD said, quoted by Reuters.

Of this total, 10 million euros (IDR 160 billion) will be used to upgrade the skills of those whose jobs are at high risk of being replaced by automation and technological innovation.

"The remaining 20 million euros (IDR 320 billion) will be allocated to help unemployed and economically inactive people develop digital skills that will increase their chances of entering the job market," FRD said.

Many types of jobs could be threatened by automation, according to FRD, including the transportation and logistics sector, office support and administration, production, services, and the retail sector.

The wider spread of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation and the rapid development of tools such as ChatGPT have caught the attention of policy makers and regulators in several countries.

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

The ChatGPT chatbot was not available in Italy for about four weeks until its creator, OpenAI, addressed the issues raised by Italian data protection authorities in late April.