Tiziana Catarci: “The younger generations must play a leading role in the governance of innovation”
Research, training, guidance and inclusion: in the view of Tiziana Catarci, full professor of Computer Engineering at Sapienza University of Rome and director of the Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies of the National Research Council (CNR), the RomeCup represents a valuable forum for bringing together knowledge, generations and future trajectories. In an interview conducted by Onelia Onorati, Catarci discusses the significance of an event such as RomeCup for a major multidisciplinary university, the role of the younger generations in the governance of artificial intelligence and new technologies, and the urgent need to work more decisively to encourage more and more girls to pursue careers in digital fields.
Why host an event like RomeCup? What value does it hold in relation to key development priorities for Sapienza, such as research, guidance for secondary school students, and training for the professions of the future?
Hosting an event like RomeCup is important for Sapienza because it allows us to connect research, education and social impact. It is an opportunity to demonstrate in a tangible way how innovation stems from scientific work and how it can be translated into applications capable of impacting people’s lives, services and the production system.
This year, this value is further reinforced by the decision to adopt a multidisciplinary approach, combining humanities with scientific and technological research, particularly in the digital field. This is a very important aspect, because the major transformations currently underway cannot be understood or managed solely on a technical level: they also require cultural reflection, ethical awareness, interpretative skills and attention to social implications. In this sense, a major comprehensive university such as Sapienza is the natural setting where these different perspectives can come together. For Sapienza, the RomeCup also serves as a powerful guide: it offers secondary school students the chance to engage with the fields of robotics, artificial intelligence and digital technologies not in an abstract way, but through hands-on experiences, examples, projects and meetings with those who study and work in these fields. This helps students make more informed choices regarding their university and career paths. Finally, it is a context that prepares students for the professions of the future, because it focuses not only on technological skills but also on soft skills: the ability to collaborate, solve problems, operate in interdisciplinary contexts and approach change with a critical mindset. In this sense, the RomeCup fully embodies Sapienza’s mission: to generate knowledge, nurture talent and contribute to the country’s innovation.
How does your university approach this year’s focus: the role of the younger generations in the governance of AI and new technologies?
It is particularly important that the younger generations are not merely users of new technologies, but key players in their understanding, development and governance. This means educating students not only on a technical level, but also on a critical, ethical and social level, stimulating the development of cognitive abilities and independent thinking. Governing artificial intelligence, in fact, does not merely mean knowing how to design or use it, but also understanding its impact, assessing its risks and guiding its development in a responsible manner.
It is precisely here that the value of a major multidisciplinary university such as Sapienza comes to the fore: bringing science, technology, the humanities and social sciences into dialogue, to prepare young people capable not only of innovating, but also of steering innovation in a conscious direction that is consistent with the needs and for the good of society.
If you were to think of one of the moments in which you play a leading role, in particular, within the event, which would you mention?
Among the moments where we take centre stage, I would like to draw particular attention to the issue of the gender gap in ICT and, more generally, to the need to attract an ever-increasing number of girls to digital-related pathways. It is a very important issue, becausetechnological transformation will be all the richer, fairer and more effective the more it is able to include diverse talents, sensibilities and perspectives. Discussing this today means addressing a crucial cultural and educational issue. All too often, digital and innovation disciplines are still perceived as distant from the experiences or interests of many girls, whereas it is essential to demonstrate that these fields offer broad, creative and socially relevant opportunities, as well as being tools for female empowerment. We must therefore work to combat stereotypes, provide guidance, promote role models and highlight pathways in which girls can see themselves reflected. In this sense, initiatives such as the Rome Cup are invaluable, as they allow us to engage with the younger generation at a crucial stage in their decision-making and to convey a clear message: girls, shape the future with digital technology – it is far too important to leave it to men alone!
