Table of contents
- Italy’s take on compliance: looking the wrong way
- Compliance complexity: a challenge or a hidden opportunity?
- Artificial intelligence: a missed opportunity for Italy
- Digital tools need digital skills
Italy’s take on compliance: looking the wrong way
According to the PwC Global Compliance Survey 2025, cyber security is now the top regulatory concern for 56% of Italian companies, aligned with the global average of 51%.
But dig deeper, and you’ll find a more local narrative: anti-corruption and anti-money laundering top the list for 66% of Italian firms, followed by environmental and sustainability regulations (54%) and health and safety (51%).
This difference from the global landscape shows how Italy continues to focus on traditional, locally bound regulations, while the rest of the world is increasingly focusing on technological innovation as the frontier of compliance.
Compliance complexity: a challenge or a hidden opportunity?
An overwhelming 93% of Italian risk managers report growing regulatory complexity, higher than the global average of 85%.
Key areas affected include tax, governance, IT systems, and sustainability. As a result, many companies are playing catch-up rather than leading the charge.
Internal issues further complicate the scenario: poor compliance culture (54%), organizational complexity (49%), and low employee awareness (46%). While the world focuses on regulatory expansion, Italy faces a deeper cultural and structural gap.
Artificial intelligence: a missed opportunity for Italy
Only 7% of Italian companies see themselves as compliance leaders and their adoption of AI reflects that. A full 44% of companies aren’t using AI at all, compared to 32% globally. And yet, AI could revolutionize data management, automate repetitive tasks, and slash error rates.
Globally, AI is already powering predictive analytics (46%) and fraud detection (36%). In Italy? Just 27% and 19% respectively. The hesitation stems from fears over misuse, disinformation, data privacy, and AI governance, concerns shared by over 90% of Italian respondents.
Digital tools need digital skills
Despite the fears, 73% of Italian companies plan to increase investment in digital solutions to face rising compliance demands. Focus areas include training, risk assessment, third-party evaluation, and fraud detection.
But without the right skills, progress will be slow. The most sought-after professionals today are in risk management, legal, and audit, but also those with strong strategic thinking, communication, and data analysis skills.
According to 80% of Italian executives, compliance will be central to their digital transformation in the next three years.
