It is a double recognition, what the prof. Georg Gottlobone of the leading experts in Artificial Intelligence, who left Oxford to come to teach at the University of Calabria, received at Palazzo dei Bruzi in Cosenza in recent days.
The teacher, in fact, was awarded the “Irene Tripodi” Awardawarded to him byItalian Association of Cultural Parks and that of the Municipality’s Culture Commission, chaired by Mimmo Frammartino.
The mayor of Cosenza did not miss his presence at the important initiative, which was enriched by a lectio magistralis on artificial intelligence, Franz Caruso.
«Hosting Prof. Georg Gottlob, one of the greatest, at Palazzo dei Bruzi artificial intelligence experts who chose to come and teach from Oxford to the University of Calabria – said Franz Caruso in thanking the distinguished academic – it gave us the opportunity to meet an eminent personality, but also to compare ourselves with one of the most important and current themes of the cultural life of our time”.
«Artificial intelligence – Franz Caruso remarked – it is one of the most heartfelt cultural themes and which also fits into the political debate due to its impact on the contemporary world. The choice of the prof. Gottlob to settle in Calabria and teach at our University makes us understand that the conditions exist for there to be a reversal of the trend and this is the tangible sign of how world excellence can be welcomed into our land, rather than witnessing the flight of our best human resources towards other work destinations, far from Calabria”.
«In our University – Franz Caruso said again in his speech – we have the best expressions in the field of Artificial Intelligence, from our Magnificent Rector, prof. Nicola Leoneto prof. Gianluigi Grecowhich are truly excellent”.
Then, Franz Caruso concluded his speech by recalling the path undertaken by the municipal administration in the culture sector and making explicit reference to the synergy and collaboration at multiple levels initiated with the University of Calabria.
«Initiatives like tonight’s – concluded the mayor – I am the most authentic testimony that the path we have undertaken and that we are carrying forward is the right one and shows us That must continue in this vein. We would also like our young people to participate more in the cultural life of the city.”
The ceremony was introduced by the President of the Culture Commission Mimmo Frammartino which was followed by greetings from the current national President of AIParC Salvatore Timpano and the President of the Cosenza section, Tania Frisone, who remembered the figure of Irene Tripodi, national president of AIParC, who passed away a year ago, “a passionate teacher and educator who was very involved in the social and cultural field” and to whom the prize awarded to the prof was named. Gottlob.
Greetings from the prof followed. Riccardo Barberidirector of the Department of Physics at Unical, representing the Rector Nicola Leone and the report, which preceded Gottlob’s lectio magistralis, by the young doctoral student in Learning Sciences and digital technologies at Unical, Aldo Pisano.
Pisano has traced a sort of Road Map of Artificial Intelligence, illustrating a sort of network that looks at AI from an interdisciplinary perspective, also touching on the issues of the ethics of artificial intelligence itself, the areas of risk and its pervasiveness.
«To prevent the philosophical debate that develops around artificial intelligence from exploding into a series of catastrophes – Dr. Pisano pointed out – we need to work at a governance level and build good practices that limit the risks».
Among the meritorious activities that the young doctoral student at Unical is carrying out, there is also the creation of a school network which currently involves four institutes, sixteen classes and around 300 students.
During his lectio magistralis, prof. Gottlob also provided the coordinates for defending oneself from the pervasiveness of AI: «being able to dominate the dangers with the help of ethics and technology and disarming the evildoers” such as the producers of fake news or those who, through the use of ad hoc created avatars, speak with the voice of politicians or organize telephone scams to the detriment of the elderly. In the end Gottlob ends his lecture with a good dose of optimism. “We will make it, like with Covid,” he concluded.
During the ceremony the “Phoenix” quartet performed, composed of young students from the “Giacomantonio” Conservatory, Wilma Monachello, Chiara Belmonte, Roberto Gottardo Iaquinta And Martina Anna Milone. (rcs)
