In 2025, 21% of Italians (16% in 2024) is very optimistic towards the future developments of the AI and 77% say they use tools and applications (it was 69% the previous year), but only 7% of the people interviewed admits they have a thorough knowledge of the subject, an unchanged figure compared to 2024. This is what emerges from the fifth Ital Communications-IoSf (Italian Digital Association Forensics) “Artificial Intelligence in Italy. As our society is changing”, created by the Piepoli Institute and presented to the Senate.
The research has analyzed the evolution over time, specifically between 2024 and 2025, of the relationship between Italians and artificial intelligence (IA), evaluating the level of knowledge and the effects of the IA on people’s lives, the perception of use of tools such as generative IA and IT security in their use. Among the topics addressed also privacy, data protection, disinformation, fake news.
Italians and the IA: confidence increases, not competence
People are increasingly confident, 18% (13% in 2024) feel they can rely on IA systems. Italians tend to see this new technology not only as an unstoppable process, but also as a valid support for multiple aspects of daily and working life. On the other hand, what has not increased for one year with the other is the level of knowledge and competence declared by the Italians: one out of two says he knew something ‘.
Technological education and computer security
The interest in improving one’s knowledge regarding IA grows from 77% of 2024 to 81% in 2025. But the people who feel the need to implement their notions are 27% of the population (23% in 2024). 67% of individuals also believe that their IT security can be threatened by the uses related to the AI: almost one in four declares themselves very worried. Only 10% think they are able to identify these risks and related threats, 41%, on the contrary, are not sure at all. The areas that citizens believe are more to be attentive to the uses of the AI are data security, privacy, regulation and ethics.
Users and Generative Ia
The intensity of use of IA tools and applications in 2025 is growing: 40% of users say they use it more than before, with a very satisfactory experience for almost one Italian out of five and quite satisfactory for two out of three. The research shows an increase in 2025 of the level of knowledge and trust towards the generative AI: 60% of people say they know what it is (51% in 2024) and 61% relocated to this system (55% in 2024).
It is a technology that allows an increase in speed, efficiency in the production of texts, can free space from routine work to encourage concentration on creative production. Relying on these tools, however, could impact on employment levels and the professional quality of some sectors, create approval, up to more critical scenarios, such as the mystification and manipulation of information, undermining its credibility.
Ia and communication: handle carefully
Almost all interviewees (96%) see some kind of critical issues in today’s sources of information. The circulation of fake news, the crowding of news, the media hyperbolas, the difficult identification of the sources, the poor deepening, the emphasis on negative news, the scarce rules on social media lead to a certain confusion and the perception of loss of quality, control and trust in the means of communication.
Andrea Paganella, secretary of presidency of the Senate of the Republic, said: “Artificial intelligence is an epochal theme. We are experiencing a very fast technological revolution that poses complex questions and requires adequate answers. I therefore thank the organizers for having paid attention to the challenges and implications of this innovative tool. It is important that the Senate and the Chamber become places of comparison and exchange of ideas. Today it offers crucial ideas to reflect on, helping the legislator to acquire valuable information, indispensable to deliberate “.
Roberto Marti, president of the Cultural and Cultural Heritage Commission, Public Education, Scientific Research, Entertainment and Sport of the Senate of the Republic, said: “Politics has a duty to intervene decisively on the training front, defining, at the same time, clear limits. We are faced with a context in constant evolution: for this reason it is essential to continue the comparison already started, in order to effectively regulate these new scenarios and define in a short time of the new guidelines”.
Walter Rizzetto, president of the Labor Commission of the Chamber of Deputies, observed: “During the cognitive investigation that we promoted in Parliament on the use of artificial intelligence systems, we have debated on the possible loss of jobs. Any technological leap, in the history of humanity, has always generated profound changes. The impact of the AI will be such as to also involve high -professional sectors. These tools will affect the work market. In this context, the real challenge is represented by training: continuous, mandatory and certified. instruments”.
Andrea Mascaretti, vice -president of the parliamentary commission for the implementation of tax federalism of the Chamber of Deputies, underlined: “Artificial intelligence is an increasingly powerful tool, which involves both risks and opportunities. Technologies evolve at a speed that are sometimes incompatible with the times and methods of political decisions. In the journalism sector, for example, it is clear the problem of fake news. The human garrison of journalists, as information risks focusing in the hands of a few, compromising the plurality and quality of the public debate.
For Santo Miobles, Director of the Edge of Cibeganica and Cibeganica, Director of the Police Head of Police, Prefect Vittorio Pisani: “The theme is more current than ever and at a particular moment in which the European Commission has recently published the guidelididers who should enter their very shortly in mind, part of the very”, perhaps, part of the concerns that can be read in the report, for ever, the state police will be attached, the State police and the field of resources and the capacities and the capacities and the calculation capacities and the theme of the Polisation, the registers. Technological infrastructures. We will take computer engineers and qualified personnel to strengthen cybersecurity and cope with the new threats.
According to Domenico Colotta, Founder Ital Communications and Assocomunicatori president: “From the fifth Ital Communications-Isisfa-Istituto Piepoli report, it clearly emerges that our country is constantly approaching artificial intelligence, seeing their practical usefulness, even if doubts remain in the field of privacy, correct information and fear compared to the loss of jobs. Digital literacy must be encouraged, so that those who use the technologies related to the AI is not a mere passive user but feel active citizen, that is, aware of the transformations taking place in society.
Gerardo Costabile, IISFA president, said: “Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the way we face data protection and IT security and also the relationship helps us in this photograph. The perception of the threat to cybersecurity linked to the AI is high according to almost 70% of the interviewees and, unfortunately, clashes with a serious deficiency in the individual ability to identify it, given that only 10% are safe in recognizing it potential attacks. Increase their awareness, but above all to provide the practical tools and trust necessary to surf safely in a digital ecosystem increasingly influenced by artificial intelligence “.
For Toni Purcaro, president of Dekra Italia: “Artificial intelligence has now become part of our daily activities and represents for DEKRA a wide reference technology, used in various ways in the system of checks and controls of which we deal with. Today the IA is an important point of reference in pursuing the safety objectives in the mobility sector, but also within the homes and in business and industrial contexts. Today they perceive this technological innovation, and these results help us to field new methodologies capable of optimizing the effectiveness of our interventions.
According to Attilio Lombardi, Founder Ital Communications: “We are learning to live with artificial intelligence. It can be seen from the fifth Ital Communications-IoSisfa-Istituto Piepoli relationship. It is a normalization accompanied by a powerful request for rules and widespread training and continues at all levels, in order to maximize the benefits and mitigate the risks for the company.
All this to demonstrate the fact that knowing how to use the IA offers new opportunities, but also significant challenges in terms of rights, fairness and participation “.
Among others, Giuseppe Corasaniti, an expert agency for National Cybersicacy and Livio Gigliuto, president of the Piepoli Institute, attended the event.