ARTICLE · 23 OCTOBER 2026
Italy’s Evolving AI Framework: New Litigation Tools And Expanding Civil And Corporate Criminal Liability Risks
Italy has enacted Legislative Decree No. 160 of 9 September 2026, establishing a comprehensive national framework that complements the EU Artificial Intelligence Act. This decree introduces strict rules for police use of AI systems, creates new criminal offenses with corporate liability exposure, and provides civil procedure tools including evidence disclosure, rebuttable causation presumptions, and direct actions against liability insurers for AI-related harm.
ItalyCorporate/Commercial Law
Overview
Italy has completed a significant step in integrating the provisions of the EU Artificial Intelligence Act (Regulation (EU) 2024/1689) at the national level, by adopting national rules that complement those of EU origin. Indeed, Legislative Decree No. 160 of 9 September 2026 (Decree 160/2026), in force since 30 September 2026, creates a dedicated regime for:
- Police use of AI.
- New AI-specific criminal offenses with corporate exposure under Legislative Decree 231/2001.
- Civil procedure and civil liability tools for anyone harmed by an AI system, including evidence disclosure, a rebuttable presumption of causation, and a direct action against liability insurers.
In depth
The EU framework in brief
We operate a free-to-view policy, asking only that you register in order to read all of our content. Please login or register to view the rest of this article.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide
to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your
specific circumstances.
View source
