Colombo (Meta), for the growth of AI the regulatory context must be favorable

"Artificial intelligence is one of the most transformative forces of our time and can represent an extraordinary lever for growth for Italy and for Europe as a whole. But while the world accelerates, the real risk is that Europe will be left behind due to its fragmented and unpredictable regulatory context". This was stated by Luca Colombo, Country Director of Meta in Italy, during his speech at the Tech Festival - The Home of the Human Safety Net in Venice.

"The recent decision of the European Commission on the Digital Markets Act goes in this direction - he added - it does not only affect Meta but risks weakening the entire European entrepreneurial ecosystem that in recent years has found in personalized advertising, powered by AI, an essential driver of growth. We are talking about technological solutions that in 2024, in Italy alone, contributed to 26 billion euros of economic activity and 176,000 jobs. Behind these numbers there are millions of small and medium-sized Italian companies that, thanks to technologies such as personalized advertising, are able to compete with large players in the global market every day".

For Colombo, "Italy, with excellences such as EssilorLuxottica, a dynamic manufacturing fabric, high-level universities and an extraordinary talent pool, has everything to lead this transformation. But we need a regulatory environment that favors innovation, not that hinders it. To support the innovation and competitiveness of our companies, we will work to give them access to the same Meta AI solutions available in the rest of the world", concluded the Country Director of Meta in Italy.