Overview

• Minister Urso stumbled during a question time on August 6 at the Italian Chamber of Deputies by translating “AI-factories” as “fattoria.”
• He hesitated, mispronounced the term as “AI factors” and then promptly corrected himself to the intended English expression.
• The video has been widely shared online and, as of August 7, no formal apology has been offered by the minister.
• Urso was emphasizing Italy’s status as the only European country hosting three of the world’s most powerful supercomputers, including the Leonardo system installed in 2022 at the Bologna Technopole.
• Observers say the misstep highlights growing scrutiny of government communication skills as Italy advances its high-performance computing and AI strategy.