GENS Public Programme: The Energy of AI

2 pm – 3:30 pm   Session I
The Energy of AI - The nexus between AI and energy
Artificial Intelligence encompasses a wide range of applications and stimulates numerous technological developments as an indirect effect of innovation and experimentation. Creative expression can be understood as the combination of the human brain (imagination, planning, historical memory, technical skills) and a medium (or more than one); consequently, if AI is used as a medium or as a highly versatile tool, creativity can benefit from this new combination. In a basic sense, the link between AI and energy is a cause for concern, given the energy-intensive nature of the AI sector – at least in its current form. Data collection and analysis require enormous amounts of electricity, to the point that energy supply has become a major concern for leading companies in the sector. On the positive side, this generates a common interest in ensuring not only access to energy, but economically sustainable and reliable access. Given that sustainability is in part an evolving concept – due to both technological innovation and changing regulatory frameworks – a fruitful dialogue can develop between the energy sector and key AI players, as well as with legislators and civil society as a whole.
In collaboration with Aspen Institute Italia.

Speakers: Angelo Maria Petroni (Secretary General, Aspen Institute Italia; Professor of Logic and  Philosophy of Science, Sapienza Università di Roma), Oksana Antonenko (Professor at the Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute in Florence and a geopolitical risk adviser), Monica Beltrametti (Member of the Board, Attract - European Commission), Barbara Caputo (Professor of Artificial Intelligence, Politecnico di Torino), Divyansh Kaushik (Vice President, Beacon Global Strategies),  Edward Luttwak (Strategic Advisor to the US Department of Defense), Lapo Pistelli (Public Affairs Director, Eni), Carlo Reita (CEO, Fondazione Chips-IT), Martin Sandbu (Economics Leader Writer, Financial Times).
Moderators: Luca De Biase (Editor Nova24, Il Sole 24 Ore), Marta Dassù (Senior Advisor European Affairs, Aspen Institute Italia).

4 pm – 5:30 pm   Session II
The Energy of AI - Making AI Human
Ca’ Giustinian, Sala delle Colonne (San Marco 1364/A – 30124, Venice)

At the same time, we can think of AI as a powerful enabler of human capabilities. After all, culture itself – from spoken language to writing, to the most advanced scientific knowledge and the arts – is an open set of tools that only work in connection with the human brain. Therefore, rather than imagining a scenario of opposition between humans and machines, it is probably more productive to conceive of forms of co-evolution between humans and machines. Since one of the distinctive features of AI is data-driven learning and the gradual accumulation of skills, interactions tend to become more sophisticated over time, rather than remaining static. In this context, a key role for humans is to constantly frame the function of AI in the most useful way, transforming it into a multiplier – a close ally, rather than a parallel form of intelligence. The most uniquely human ability is probably that of asking questions, selecting problems, and identifying bottlenecks in scientific progress that can benefit from the analytical power of AI. Ultimately, the much-feared “singularity” remains confined to tasks that require enormous computing power; a real turning point would only be reached if and when an AI began to ask interesting and fundamental questions – to humans or to itself.
In collaboration with Aspen Institute Italia.

Speakers: Eugenia Alleva (Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Health at Mount Sinai), Nick Bostrom (Philosopher, Founder and Principal Researcher, Macrostrategy Research Initiative), Alex Braga (Musician), Marcello Pelillo (Professor of Computer Science, Università di Venezia Ca’ Foscari), Alberto Sangiovanni Vincentelli (The Edgar L. and Harold H. Buttner Chair of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California at Berkeley; President, Fondazione Chips-IT), Vivian Schiller (VP and Executive Director of Aspen Digital, The Aspen Institute), Uljan Sharka (CEO, Domyn).
Moderators: Luca De Biase (Editor-in-chief Nova24, Il Sole 24 Ore), Marta Dassù (Senior Advisor European Affairs, Aspen Institute Italia Panel)