AI at Work: Italy Demands a Human, Sweden Blocks Chatbots
Italy now requires a real person to make final decisions about hiring, discipline and dismissal, and Sweden's government is blocking ChatGPT and Claude in staff web browsers. Two European governments, two different tools: a labour-law rule and a security block. Both are about who stays in control when AI is part of the job.
Key takeaways
- Italy's Legislative Decree 179/2026 took effect on 23 October 2026. Final employment decisions cannot rest solely on automated processing, and a decision that breaks the rule is void [1][2][3].
- Sweden's Government Offices will block the ChatGPT and Claude web interfaces on staff computers from Monday 26 October, leaving Microsoft Copilot as the approved assistant, according to an email from the offices to SVT [4].
- In Japan, Sakana AI announced Aquarium, an enterprise agent platform with human-approval steps and records of what agents used, decided and did, according to Sakana [7][8].
- EU rules for high-risk AI in employment are due to apply from 2 December 2027, so national rules like Italy's are arriving first [9][10].
Italy: a human must decide
Italy's decree adapts national law to the EU AI Act. It is dated 7 October 2026, was published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale (No. 234) on 8 October and took effect on 23 October [1][2]. Its employment rule, Article 41, covers hiring, changes to a contract, termination, disciplinary measures and performance evaluations [2][3].
For these decisions, the final call must be made by a natural person with "effective and autonomous" power, not merely formal sign-off [2][3]. Decisions that break the rule are null and void, and an employee's consent does not cure the defect [2][3]. Employers must also inform workers before processing starts and, on request, give an understandable explanation of the AI system's influence and main parameters [2][3].
Searching for and screening candidates is not treated as a "final decision", although EU data-protection law on automated decisions can still apply [2][3]. Separate fines in the decree (Article 23) follow the AI Act's tiers: up to €35 million or 7% of worldwide turnover for prohibited practices, and up to €15 million or 3% for many operator duties [2][3]. These fines are tied to AI Act duties, not to the employment rule, which works through nullity [2].
We read the decree as printed in the Gazette and the Gazette's own record of its start date [1][2]. Employers should check the text with their advisers.
Sweden: a security block, not a ban on AI
Sveriges Radio's Ekot reported on 23 October that Sweden's Government Offices will block ChatGPT and Claude, and the offices confirmed it in an email to SVT: the web interfaces of both services will not be reachable from staff computers from 26 October [4]. According to reports relaying Ekot, the offices' digitalisation director, Mikael Wettercrantz, warned in an intranet post of "consequences for our information security" when AI services are used without an agreement [5][6].
Microsoft Copilot stays available after a review that raised its security settings [4]. The offices' email adds that staff can still use the ChatGPT and Claude language models through a platform called Intric [4]. SVT reports that the Tax Agency and the National Board of Institutional Care already block these services and that the Enforcement Authority is considering it [4]. Sveriges Radio's own page asks automated readers not to open it, so we relied on SVT's report and the offices' email. For earlier restrictions on a different tool, see our 20 October DeepSeek review.
Japan: vendors build the controls in
On the supply side, Sakana AI of Tokyo announced Aquarium on 23 October. According to Sakana, an "ontology" links a company's knowledge, rules and data; workflows can require human approval before an agent acts; and the platform records what an agent consulted, decided and did [7][8]. Sakana says the product packages lessons from its work with MUFG Bank, SMBC Group and Daiwa Securities Group; access is by consultation, with no price given [7][8]. These are company claims. Related reading: our 22 October bank-rules article.
How the three approaches compare
| Approach | Who | Tool | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labour-law rule | Italy | Final decision by a person; automated decisions void | In force 23 Oct 2026 |
| Access block | Swedish Government Offices | Only approved AI tools on work PCs | Confirmed by the offices; from 26 Oct |
| Built-in controls | Sakana AI (Japan) | Approval steps and records | Announced 23 Oct; no price |
Why it matters
Our analysis: employers face three questions at once. Who decides, which tools staff may use, and what evidence exists afterwards. Italy answers the first by law, Sweden the second through IT policy, and Sakana's design addresses the third. A company with staff in several countries cannot assume one answer fits all.
The EU timeline adds pressure. According to Gibson Dunn, a May 2026 political agreement moved the AI Act's employment-related high-risk rules from 2 August 2026 to 2 December 2027 [10]. The change was adopted as Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 of 8 July 2026, published in the Official Journal on 24 July [9]. Italy's rule is one reason not to wait for that date.
What to watch next
- Italy: guidance from the authorities named in the decree, including AgID and ACN, on what makes a human decision "effective" [1].
- Sweden: whether more agencies follow, and how staff use the models through Intric [4].
- Japan: Aquarium pricing, availability and the customer examples Sakana says it will publish [7].
- EU: 2 December 2027 for employment-related high-risk rules [9][10].
Our take
Our analysis: these rules are not anti-AI. They keep a person accountable and keep data inside agreed channels. The practical test is audit evidence: can an employer show who decided, on what information, and with which tool?
FAQ
Does Italy ban AI in hiring? No. The rule says a person with real authority must make the final decision. Candidate screening is not treated as a final decision, though other data-protection rules can apply [2][3].
Has Sweden banned ChatGPT and Claude? Not nationally. The block covers the web interfaces on Government Offices staff computers; Copilot remains approved and the models stay available through Intric [4].
Does the EU AI Act already cover employment AI? Its high-risk employment rules are due from 2 December 2027, after the omnibus delay [9][10].
Sources
- Legislative Decree 7 October 2026, No. 179, Gazzetta Ufficiale, Serie Generale No. 234, 8 October 2026 (entry into force 23 October 2026). Primary.
- Legislative Decree 179/2026, full Gazette text, copy hosted by Sistema Penale. Primary.
- Decree 179/2026: AI authorities, fines, work and training, noze.it, October 2026. Secondary summary.
- AI-tjänster spärras på Regeringskansliet (in Swedish), SVT Nyheter, 23 October 2026, updated 24 October. Quotes an email from the Government Offices.
- Sweden's government is blocking ChatGPT and Claude on staff computers from Monday, Mad Robot, 23 October 2026. Relays Sveriges Radio Ekot.
- Swedish Government Offices block ChatGPT and Claude, Daily Northern, 23 October 2026. Relays SVT and Ekot.
- Sakana Aquarium announcement (in Japanese), Sakana AI, 23 October 2026. Primary.
- Sakana Aquarium (in Japanese), Sakana AI product page. Primary.
- Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 (Digital Omnibus on AI), Official Journal of the European Union, 24 July 2026. Primary.
- EU AI Act omnibus agreement: postponed high-risk deadlines, Gibson Dunn, 27 May 2026.
Correction, 24 October 2026: an earlier version said some Swedish staff could reach ChatGPT and Claude through a platform the government built itself. The Government Offices' email to SVT names the platform as Intric and does not say who built it; the sentence is fixed. Sources were also updated to the Gazzetta Ufficiale, SVT's report, Sakana AI's announcement and the EU Official Journal.
AI Worldwire is independent and has no commercial relationship with the companies covered, unless stated. Research and drafting are assisted by AI; every article is reviewed and approved by a human editor before publication. This is analysis, not legal advice. Subscribe to the AI Worldwire newsletter. Last updated: 24 October 2026.