Over the past few days, Decode39 and its sister publication Formiche have reported on AgID Director General Mario Nobile’s appearance at China’s flagship AI forum, his remarks to Chinese state broadcaster CGTN, and the broader strategic questions raised by the episode at a time when Italy has strengthened its alignment with the United States and other trusted partners on artificial intelligence and critical technologies.
In response, both media organizations formally requested comments from AgID and from Undersecretary for Technological Innovation and Digital Transition Alessio Butti, offering the opportunity for either an interview or an official statement.
- At the time of writing, neither AgID nor the Undersecretary’s office has provided a response. Neither institution has indicated whether a response will be provided at a later stage.
Why it matters: That absence is significant because AgID is not simply another public agency.
- The Agency for Digital Italy is the technical agency of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers responsible for leading the digital transformation of Italy’s public administration. In the field of artificial intelligence, it plays a central institutional role.
- According to its official mandate, AgID contributes to the definition of Italy’s national AI strategy alongside other public institutions, promotes the adoption of AI across the public sector, develops governance frameworks and guidelines, supports the ethical and secure deployment of AI systems, and encourages cooperation between public institutions, academia and industry to strengthen Italy’s digital ecosystem.
- Institutionally, AgID operates under the authority of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers through Undersecretary Alessio Butti, who holds the government’s delegation for technological innovation and digital transition. This makes both the agency and the Undersecretary key actors in implementing Italy’s AI strategy.
Decoding the news: For this reason, the issue extends beyond the participation of a senior official in an international conference. The central question is whether the Shanghai appearance reflected an institutional initiative consistent with the Italian government’s strategic direction or an individual initiative that does not represent official policy.
Zoom in: Meloni and China. The question has become more relevant in light of the Meloni government’s broader approach to China.
- Since taking office, Rome has withdrawn from the Belt and Road Initiative, strengthened investment screening through Golden Power, promoted closer technological cooperation with the United States and other democratic partners, and recently joined the U.S.-backed Joint Statement on AI Opportunity, reinforcing its commitment to trusted AI ecosystems.
- There is no indication that Italy has changed its strategic posture. But without an official explanation from either the agency responsible for implementing key elements of Italy’s AI policy or the political authority overseeing it, the episode remains open to interpretation.
Between the lines: That uncertainty comes at a particularly sensitive moment. Italy is expected in the coming weeks to formally join the “Pax Silica”, the U.S.-led framework aimed at fostering cooperation among trusted partners on AI governance, standards and secure technological ecosystems.
- Rome had originally been expected to sign the Joint Statement on AI Opportunity earlier this summer. The announcement, however, was postponed for reasons unrelated to the substance of the initiative before Italy ultimately endorsed it later.
The bottom line: As Hudson Institute researcher Zineb Riboua told Decode39, governments have little room to hedge between competing AI ecosystems. “The room governments believe they retain is an illusion,” she argued, warning that ambiguity is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain as AI evolves into a strategic domain shaped by competing standards, governance models and technological alliances.
- Until the institutional meaning of the Shanghai visit is clarified, the ambiguity remains.
