Research by the Bank of Italy highlights just how far we still have to go in adopting new technologies

True innovation. Using new technologies to embark on a meaningful path of growth and development: mindful of the bottom line, but above all of the impact on work and people. This is a commitment that must be shared by everyone. This becomes even more important and serious with the adoption of the latest technologies, particularly Artificial Intelligence (AI). A large research team at the Bank of Italy has explored these issues, and the impact of AI on productivity in particular, in its study ‘L’adozione dell’intelligenza artificiale:  effetti su produttività e politiche a sostegno’ (The adoption of artificial intelligence: effects on productivity and supporting policies), recently published in the Bank’s Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Economic and financial issues) series.

The work is based on the following observation: in Italy, the proportion of businesses adopting artificial intelligence technologies is increasing, but remains significantly below the European average. However, long-term estimates suggest that, depending on the speed and extent of its adoption, widespread adoption of the technology could boost productivity by 0.2–1.1 percentage points per year over the next decade. Another observation is that  despite these forecasts, no significant impact on company-level productivity is yet apparent in the short term,  although documented growth is evident at the level of individual tasks. As the authors of the study note, this is consistent with existing literature on  the widespread benefits of new technologies, and of AI in particular, which only become apparent after significant organisational changes have been made. In addition to the technical aspects, it seems fair to say that there is always a more complex cultural shift to be made.

To know what to do, we must first understand the main barriers to the adoption of AI. The Bank of Italy’s research seeks to identify these barriers, while also examining the conditions that would justify public intervention to provide support. A key insight emerges: rather than relying on broadly targeted subsidies, the uptake of new technologies can be supported by helping businesses adopt them. This can be achieved by providing applications from specialist suppliers and investing in enabling factors such as  regulatory certainty, data sharing and easy access to data centres. Promoting the establishment of organisations specialising in the integration of AI into business processes and strengthening technology transfer from research centres to businesses appear to be key avenues to pursue. On closer inspection, these findings suggest a fundamental need for a shift in thinking and corporate culture to make the most of the new opportunities offered by technology.

L’adozione dell’intelligenza artificiale: effetti su produttività e politiche a sostegno

VARIOUS AUTHORS.

Bank of Italy, Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Occasional Papers), June 2026