Artificial Intelligence and Digital Infrastructure: Italy's Challenge

Debate at the Tecnopolo DAMA in Bologna on the evolution of AI applied to the cloud, between industrial strategies, open source technologies and new governance models. The crucial role of companies, institutions and national skills to guarantee sovereignty and competitiveness in the European context

The event on “Artificial Intelligence: efficiency, scalability and innovation” organized by EuroCC Italy with Krateo PlatformOps was held yesterday at the Tecnopolo Data Manifattura, known as DAMA, in Bologna. The event conceived and coordinated by EuroCC Italy and Krateo PlatformOps involved leading figures in the Italian panorama for the world of innovation, cloud and digital infrastructures. Particular attention was paid to the topic addressed during the round table on “How are companies managing the cloud with AI?” and what opportunities these technologies bring to the future of Italian companies and institutions.

Giulio Covassi, CEO of Krateo, asked a fundamental question during his speech: “in 2030 will we be protagonists or spectators of the artificial intelligence revolution? For Italy, this represents a decisive strategic choice. Our AI ecosystem is constantly growing and companies like Krateo, with 100% Open Source and Made in Italy solutions, demonstrate that the country has the necessary skills to be a protagonist of this transformation”. “The real challenge - continues Covassi - is to ensure that the adoption of AI occurs while preserving technological sovereignty. The future depends on our ability to invest today in proprietary technologies and specialized skills, building a globally competitive ecosystem without compromising our technological identity.”

Laura Mortini, Co-leader EuroCC Italy, spoke by underlining that: "the event offered a unique opportunity to highlight how artificial intelligence and supercomputing are a winning combination for those who want to innovate, playing a fundamental role in shaping the future of digital infrastructures. Italy has all the potential to be a protagonist of this transformation, thanks to its capacity for innovation, the technological resources available and emerging strategic initiatives such as IT4LIA AI Factory."

Following is Alessandro Cimatti of the Bruno Kessler Foundation (FBK), Director for the Center for Digital Industry, who points out that: “AI agent-based systems will support increasingly complex and critical functions. It is therefore necessary to guarantee reliability and predictability without introducing rigidity and management costs. To this end, advanced programming tools will be essential to structure and automate the development and validation process”.

Professor Ranieri Razzante, instead, focused on the legislative and regulatory sphere, highlighting that: "thinking about a safe artificial intelligence would be illusory nowadays, until we have certainties about the application of the precautions provided for by the AI ​​Act and international good practices. I also believe that the poor culture of control that is accompanying the discussions around this important tool should be indicated as the worst of the problems that AI can create for us, while obviously maintaining its undoubted usefulness."

The speech by Ivano Cortinovis, Chief Information Officer of D-Orbit, highlighted how: “artificial intelligence is not only a technological opportunity, but a strategic lever for rethinking operational models and a game changer for business models. The discussion that emerged during the event demonstrates how this theme is now central to the transformation agendas of Italian companies.”

Also during the round table “Artificial Intelligence: efficiency, scalability and innovation”, Alfredo Nulli, Head of Architecture & Technological Portfolio at TIM Enterprise, highlighted how Artificial Intelligence today represents a fundamental enabler for the modernization of the country's critical infrastructures also through the use of reliable and secure Cloud solutions based in Italy. The speech was also an opportunity to recall the TIM Smart Infrastructure Challenge, an Open Innovation initiative aimed at startups, scaleups and national and international companies, recently launched by the company and aimed at identifying innovative solutions to support the digital transformation of critical infrastructures, in order to improve the quality of services for the community.