The use of AI among innovative start-ups with significant social and environmental impact in Italy: a qualitative inquiry

Report sulle startup a impatto in Italia 2025 This thesis explores how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is implemented by innovative startups with significant social and environmental impact (ISSSEIs) in Italy. Grounded in a comprehensive review of literature on social innovation, impact measurement, and responsible AI, the study adopts a qualitative, multiple-case study approach to investigate real-life applications of AI within these mission-driven enterprises. After an initial mapping and assessment phase based on national datasets (SIM, AIDA, Registro Imprese), five ISSSEIs were selected through purposive sampling and interviewed using a semi-structured protocol. The analysis reveals diverse adoption patterns of AI technologies, primarily generative AI and data-driven tools, across internal operations, product development, and strategic planning. Opportunities such as efficiency gains and impact scaling are often counterbalanced by ethical and regulatory concerns, including data governance and algorithmic bias. The findings contribute to the academic debate on the role of AI in the sustainability transition, offering theoretical and practical insights for policymakers, scholars, and ecosystem actors aiming to support responsible digital innovation.