On Friday, October 16, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 6:30 PM, Aula Pessina (Corso Umberto I, 40) will host the conference ‘Artificial Intelligence: From Technique to Rights’, promoted by the Departments of Law and Electrical Engineering and Information Technology of the University of Naples Federico II. The initiative originated from an idea by Giovanna De Minico, later shared with Carlo Sansone: from the meeting of the constitutionalist’s perspective and the engineer’s viewpoint, a day takes shape that centers on an alliance between the two cultures. Organisers argue that artificial intelligence cannot be governed from a single perspective and that dialogue between law and engineering benefits both — law ties the defence of rights to technical choices, while engineering helps law draft rules grounded in system realities.
Danilo Ercolini (Federico II) wins the 47th edition of the Dorso Prize: “My research for the progress of the South”.
Artificial Intelligence conference programme
The proceedings open at 9:00 AM with institutional greetings from Nicola Bianco (Vice-Rector of the University of Naples Federico II), Helle Krunke (Emeritus President of the International Association of Constitutional Law), Carla Masi (Director of the Department of Law, Federico II University), Fabio Villone (Director of DIETI), Carlo Sansone (Coordinator of the Human Centred Artificial Intelligence master’s program), and Francesco Loreto (Coordinator of the Italian National Ph.D. Program in Artificial Intelligence, Agrifood and Environment area).
The morning session, titled “Constitutional Europe and Artificial Intelligence,” is chaired by Francisco Balaguer Callejón (University of Granada). Keynote speakers are Christopher S. Yoo (University of Pennsylvania, Co-Director of the Penn Center on Media, Technology & Democracy) and Giovanna De Minico (Federico II University, co-president of Officina Costituzione). Presentations follow by Marco Orofino (University of Milan) and Lucilla Gatt (Director of the Jean Monnet Center of Excellence ReCEPL4STAI). Discussants for the morning session are Maria Francesca De Tullio, Emanuela Palomba, Domenico Bruno (University of Naples Federico II), and Michela Parente (Academy of Fine Arts of Naples).
The afternoon session, “Constitutional Europe and Neuro-Rights,” is chaired by Giovanna De Minico and opens with keynote speaker Roberto Andorno (University of Zurich). Subsequent speakers are Antonio D’Aloia (University of Parma), Fulvia Abbondante (Federico II University), Federico Gustavo Pizzetti (University of Milan), and Umberto Ronga. Afternoon discussants include Enrico Buono (Saarland University), Vincente P. Grossi (Federico II University), Isabella de Vivo (Sapienza University of Rome), and Stefano Marrone. The conclusions will be delivered by Massimo Villone, emeritus professor of Constitutional Law at Federico II.
The event was supported by the Jean Monnet Gender-Inclusive Fair Transformation (GIFT) project, led by Fulvia Abbondante, with the contribution of Graded Spa. During the conference the research programme for awarding scholarships for the best doctoral theses in Artificial Intelligence and the Protection of Fundamental Rights, in the area of Humanities and Social Sciences/STEM, will be presented. The study day will be recorded by Radio Radicale and can also be followed remotely at https://www.radioradicale.it/.
