AI Developments in Italian Research Institutes
With AI being one of the most powerful tools anyone can use in virtually any domain, every country does their part in developing this ever-evolving assistant. In my brief visit to Italy, I stayed in Orte, a small commune located at about 80 km from Rome.
During my visit to “Istituti Omnicomprensivo Orte”, I quickly found out the teachers and students were no strangers to integrating AI into their programs. I witnessed the use of generative AI for various projects, along with the use of different virtual assistants that helped students with their assignments. While talking to these students, I came to the conclusion that AI is used as a tool, something that fact-checks or helps with adding information, rather than doing the whole project or playing a big part in the working process. I also noticed the use of AI in the projects showcased by the Italian teachers, something that amazed me, as most teachers would be against the use of this tool. Instead, AI is tolerated and seen as nothing more than a “final touch” to a project.
I was personally very surprised and satisfied with the results of my research during this visit. The mindset revolving around the use of AI in schools has developed dramatically, compared to a few years ago, when the use of such tools was seen as lazy, uninspired or even cheating. I see this evolution as a sign that people are starting to use such technologies in a smarter way and more responsibly.