* scientific director of the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Genoa
Whatever we do in science and technology will be achieved using four main technologies that some colleagues can summarize with the acronym “BANG”. B come Bits which represent data, the most precious resource of our time; A come Atoms because today we can already control the composition of materials atom by atom; N come Neurons, nerve cells, understanding how the brain works is fundamental for our health but also for creating more efficient machines; G come Genesthe genes that determine how we are made and how we function and knowing their secrets means being able to treat ourselves better and improve the quality of our life.
Bits, the leading technology to date. The large masses of data deriving from all areas of scientific research require processing, interpretation and therefore great computing power. This is where artificial intelligence comes in, a tool that allows us to “connect the dots”, which we cannot even see with the “naked eye”, with a speed unthinkable for a human brain.
Special AI Infrastructure and knowledge, the fields in which to invest to lead the AI revolution by Alessandra Poggiani* 16 March 2024
Starting from 2010-2012 we have observed a turning point in this technological area. There has been incremental growth for some time and then, more recently, a jump. This sudden advancement was fundamentally due to two factors: the increase in available data from scientific research which entails the unprecedented possibility of training our algorithms in an increasingly sophisticated manner and the increase in computing capacity to process these data and use increasingly complex algorithms. Fortunately, there still remains an important space where we can apply our intelligence to conceive and develop new algorithms. The challenge we face is to produce increasingly efficient and accurate models that can perform well while consuming fewer resources. Suffice it to say that training models like Chat GPT3 cost around 10 million euros in electricity alone.
Having said that, the potential of these technologies is “disruptive” and is revolutionizing every area of scientific research. We recently launched the new Strategic Plan 2024-2029 which identifies artificial intelligence as a priority, a fundamental tool for technical and scientific development, to address the two most urgent social challenges of our time: health (Healthcare) and sustainability (Earthcare) . In the plan, AI is not intended only as a “large language model” but primarily as a tool to be applied to do research better and faster. Furthermore, as part of the strategy for the next 6 years, we have foreseen ample space for the digitalisation project of IIT, through investments both in specific research on artificial intelligence and in infrastructures, for over 150 million euros, to increase the capacity of calculation and improve data storage performance.
Special AI Personalized medicine between digital twins and brain-machine interfaces by Luca Berdondini* 16 March 2024
When we talk about BANG, therefore, we must consider the first letter as a capital B, which supports the other three transversally. The technologies that arise from digital are bringing great revolutions in the way of doing science in all fields of our knowledge. Today we can already imagine a completely different way of working and living, faster, more efficient and potentially more economical. However, what awaits us could also go beyond our imagination and it is in that interface between the probable and the impossible that the impulse to move the limits of knowledge ever further is born, which keeps the scientist’s incessant work going.
Special AI This way artificial intelligence will make us read the papyri of Herculaneum by Federica Nicolardi* 14 March 2024