“Digital Lives”: the social, political, and moral consequences of artificial intelligence will be the central theme of the first Public Ethics Festival, scheduled from May 6 to 8 at the Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone . The event is organized by the Musica per Roma Foundation, Luiss, and Ethos, the Public Ethics Observatory of the Luiss Business School directed by Sebastiano Maffettone, in partnership with ACEA.

The three-day event will be opened by philosopher Sebastiano Maffettone (Director of Ethos) and Daniele Pittèri, CEO of the Musica per Roma Foundation. Featured keynote speakers include Casper Klynge, Microsoft Vice President for European Government Affairs, Mario Rasetti, Professor Emeritus of Theoretical Physics at the Polytechnic University of Turin, and Giuliano Amato, President of the Constitutional Court.

The relationship between Ethics and Artificial Intelligence, explored through issues such as social innovation, sustainability, religion and spirituality, war and weapons, robotics, healthcare, economic development, new educational models, human enhancement, and artistic creation, will be just a few of the topics addressed at the first edition of the Festival. It will feature Italian and international philosophers, scholars, and AI experts, including Paolo Benanti, Derrik de Kherckhove, Marta Bertolaso, Bruno Siciliano, Paola Severino, Vincenzo Paglia, Pietro Labriola, Luigi Nicolais, Giorgio Ventre, Jeffrey Schnapp, Andrea Prencipe , Guglielmo Tamburrini, and Stefano Songini.

Today, algorithm-based machines can make medical diagnoses with an accuracy rate that, in some cases, surpasses that of a doctor. They can predict who will repay a loan with far greater precision than a bank manager. According to some developers, they can even better understand than we can whether there is an emotional connection with the person standing before us. Artificial intelligence (AI) is gaining ever-greater predictive power and a leading role in many areas of life in the digital age, presenting us with new ethical questions that have become even more pressing since the onset of the pandemic.

These are just a few of the topics that will be covered over the three days of the Festival, which will feature ten panels with some of the leading experts in the field.

The Festival kicks off with philosopher Sebastiano Maffettone and CEO Daniele Pittèri, who will introduce the conference and present keynote speaker Casper Klynge, Microsoft’s Vice President for European Government Affairs, on Friday, May 6, at 10:00 AM at Spazio Risonanze.

Following that, Paola Severino, Vincenzo Paglia, and Alessandro Pajno will discuss “Rules and Principles in the Digital Age ,” moderated by TG5 journalist Paola Rivetta (Friday, May 6, at 10 a.m. in the Spazio Risonanze). Paolo Benanti, Massimo Chiriatti, and Gianfranco Pellegrino will tackle the hot topic of “Algorethics: Potential and Challenges in the AI Era” with journalist Maria Latella (Friday the 6th at 12:00 PM in the Sala Ospiti);

Over the three days, numerous panels are scheduled with leading experts in the field: Paolo Boccardelli, Pietro Labriola, and Massimiliano Garri will discuss Ethics and Digital Innovation for a Better Society and a More Advanced Economy, moderated by Tg1 journalist Marco Valerio Lo Prete (Friday the 6th at 5:00 PM in Spazio Risonanze); Agostino Santoni, Giorgio Ventre, Damien Lanfrey, Valeria Fascione, and Sara Roversi will identify New Models for Digital Skills (Friday the 6th at 6:00 PM in the Sala Ospiti); Gianluca Riccio and Elisa Giardina Papa will discuss Art in the Age of AI (Friday the 6th at 7:30 PM in the Spazio Risonanze); Marta Bertolaso, Piero Poccianti and Daniele Di Fausto will discuss “Cities Put to the Test by AI: Living with Complexity” (Saturday, May 7 at 11:30 AM in Spazio Risonanze); Guglielmo Tamburrini, Jan Kickert, and Paola Gaeta will talk about “Autonomous Weapons and Moral Responsibility” (Saturday, May 7 at 3:30 PM in Sala Ospiti); and Massimo Angelini, Stefano Songini, Paolo Spagnoletti, and Barbara Gasperini will address the topic “Educating for Sustainability” (Sunday, May 8 at 11:30 AM). One of the panels will be hosted by Young Ethos, the Luiss students who are actively involved in the Ethos Observatory of Public Ethics, which has long been working to propose innovative and sustainable social models (Saturday, May 7 at 12:30 p.m. in the Teatro Studio).

The Festival will feature interviews with industry experts: Andrea Prencipe, Rector of Luiss University Guido Carli, will discuss issues related to economic transformations in the digital age with Barbara Millucci of Corriere della Sera (Friday the 6th at 2:30 PM in the Sala Ospiti), Luigi Nicolais, the current government’s Research Policy Advisor, will discuss AI applications in medicine and agriculture with Luca De Biase from Il Sole 24 Ore (Friday, May 6, at 3:30 PM in the Sala Ospiti); Derrik de Kherckhove, a sociologist and one of the world’s leading experts on mass media, will talk about the present and future of AI with Ernesto Assante from La Repubblica (Saturday, May 7, at 12 PM in the Sala Petrassi); Harvard designer and historian Jeffrey Schnapp will discuss Digital Humanities with Tg2 Cultura's managing editor Tommaso Ricci (Saturday, the 7th, at 5:00 PM in Spazio Risonanze); Bruno Siciliano, one of the most distinguished robotics experts, will explore the new ethical and political implications of robotics with journalist Armando Massarenti (Saturday, the 7th, at 6:30 PM in Sala Ospiti);

The Festival will conclude on Sunday at 12:00 p.m. in the Sala Ospiti with a panel moderated by Sebastiano Maffettone. The discussion will explore the role of philosophy in the digital age, featuring historian and curator Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev alongside three contemporary Italian philosophers: Mario De Caro, Fiorella Battaglia, and Maurizio Ferraris. At nearly the same time, at 12:30 p.m. in the Petrassi Room, architect and urban planner Maurizio Carta will discuss the future of our cities in an interview with journalist and TV host Monica Setta.

“The first Public Ethics Festival, which we conceived with the scientific support of Ethos Luiss,” says Daniele Pittèri, CEO of the Musica per Roma Foundation, “was created to address the new ethical and philosophical questions of contemporary life. This new festival joins our existing festivals and lecture series that explore topics in history, science, literature, law, and mathematics. This festival, in addition to addressing urgent topics, will stand out for its multidisciplinary approach and real-world focus, making it truly one of a kind. Today, a cultural institution like ours has the task not only of offering new content to the public but also of working with them to explore the fundamental questions of living together, transforming spectators into active citizens who participate in debate and public life. And it’s important to do all this by fostering positive partnerships with other prestigious cultural institutions, as we’ve done here with Luiss Guido Carli University.”

Admission is free while seats are available. You can download your ticket by registering at www.ticketone.it or at the Auditorium Parco della Musica box office.

Ethos is the Public Ethics Observatory founded and directed by Sebastiano Maffettone. Established in 2019 at the Luiss Business School, the Observatory conducts research, provides consulting, and offers training across various areas of public ethics. Ethos addresses the ethical and political implications of business, medicine, sustainability, and artificial intelligence, engaging some of the most influential figures in national and international academia.

For the full program: click here