Editorial by Giuseppe F. Italiano, Deputy Rector of AI at Luiss University of Rome
Artificial intelligence is everywhere. It’s in our online searches, in the recommendations we receive, in the movies we watch, in the words we read. And increasingly, it’s present in the decisions we make — or the ones we let machines make for us. But what is AI, really? A set of algorithms? A new lens through which we see the world? A risk? A hope?
This pamphlet is a journey through the many faces of a technology that challenges us not only as citizens, but also as professionals, consumers, spectators — and, ultimately, as human beings. Artificial intelligence, here, is not reduced to a definition. It is explored through the voices of young journalists who have investigated its impact on politics, economics, culture, and daily life. From digital resistance during international protests to biometric payments, from a virtual assistant guiding tourists in Rome to AI that writes, creates, heals — and maybe even cares. Each article sheds light on a different fragment of reality, often one we have yet to fully understand, that AI is helping to reshape.
Contradictions are part of the story. There are those who warn of its excesses, those who champion its potential, those concerned with burnout and others dreaming of empathetic chatbots. There’s room for the digital “Luddites” and for the optimists. For copyright and cognitive risks. For education and cinema. For the metaverse and for ethics.
This is not a technical manual. It is an open map, made of stories, interviews, and visions. A collection that doesn’t aim to have the final word on AI, but rather to spark new questions. Because if the future will be partly written by algorithms, we must make sure we write it together — humans and machines, yes, but also as informed and active citizens.
I hope you enjoy the read.
