Ai, raddoppiano le imprese italiane che ne fanno uso

The number of Italian companies using artificial intelligence (AI) has nearly doubled, with 19.5% of firms utilizing the technology, according to recent Unioncamere-Dintec surveys conducted by the Unioncamere technology consortium, Enea, and Italian chambers of commerce. Among large businesses, over 50% have adopted AI, while only 15% of small companies have implemented it.

However, a significant challenge arises: at least six out of ten companies, despite their interest, are hindered by a lack of expertise in AI adoption. Many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) struggle to hire or train personnel capable of managing data analysis, system maintenance, and integrating AI into business processes.

Giuseppe Francesco Italiano, an associate professor of computer engineering and prorector for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Skills at Luiss Guido Carli, highlights that the main obstacle to widespread AI adoption in Italian companies is a lack of digital skills. Only 58.6% of SMEs in Italy cite the lack of digital skills as the primary barrier to AI adoption, while only 7% have initiated structured training programs in this area.

The Unioncamere-Dintec surveys will be presented and analyzed at the second Noon Day, an initiative promoted by the Bari Chamber of Commerce during the 89th Levante Fair in Bari. On September 24, the second Noon Day will focus on AI and its impact on the economic and social system, with special attention to SMEs' digital skills in the Southern Italy region.

Marco Camisani Calzolari, an expert from the National Cybersecurity Agency and the Presidency's Digital Transformation Department, and a member of the National AI Strategy Coordination Committee, emphasizes that Italy is the most advanced European country in AI regulation but lags behind China and the US in frontier models. However, he asserts that the path exists, and the South can become the central hub for Italian AI development.