Europe looks to AI to support scientific research

The European Union is ready to invest in artificial intelligence (AI) to support scientific research, and among the options is the creation of a European Institute for Artificial Intelligence. Andrea Rizzoli, director of the Dalle Molle Institute for Artificial Intelligence (USI-SUPSI), co-directed, together with the Polish colleague Anna Fabijańska, the report underlying the guidelines for the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, Margrethe Vestager.

On the pages of Ticinoscienza, Andrea Rizzoli talks about his analysis of the current state and potential of the use of artificial intelligence in scientific research and the next steps to be taken by the European Commission.

As Rizzoli points out, "The advantage of having a common direction is that it allows for better coordination in managing research projects and attracting important funding. This enables universities to conduct impactful research and elevate themselves to the level of large companies in the sector." While there is still debate about what form the institute should take, Rizzoli favours a distributed model: "I see no need for a centralised infrastructure. There is already a network of laboratories and infrastructures distributed across Europe that are institutes of excellence, so this network should be strengthened. It might be useful to create a hub where researchers can exchange ideas and collaborate on specific projects while maintaining autonomy".

The importance of international collaboration

Although Switzerland is not a full member of the European Union, it could greatly benefit from this new institute: "It would give Switzerland the opportunity to collaborate even in the current situation, where we are not full members of the various EU research programmes. I would see the Swiss position as much more difficult if, instead, the European institute were centralised."

Challenges and opportunities

The creation of a new European institute focused on AI presents a rare chance for Europe to strengthen its prominent position in scientific research. However, as noted by Rizzoli, it is important to address the ethical issues linked to AI, including algorithm transparency and data protection.

The full interview is available at the following link: https://www.ticinoscienza.ch/it/news.php?porta-anche-una-firma-ticinese-il-rapporto