Artificial Intelligence: From Technology to Rights
Artificial Intelligence: From Technology to Rights
On October 16 in Naples, legal experts and engineers will come together for an international symposium
On Friday, October 16, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.,the Arcoleo Lecture Hall ( Corso Umberto I, 40) will host the conference “Artificial Intelligence: From Technology to Rights, ” sponsored by the Departments of Law and Electrical Engineering and Information Technology at the University of Naples Federico II. The initiative stemmed from an idea by Giovanna De Minico, which she later shared with Carlo Sansone: from the convergence of the constitutional scholar’s perspective and that of the engineer, a day takes shape that centers on an alliance that is still rare but increasingly necessary.
Artificial intelligence cannot be governed from a single perspective, and the conference is based on the conviction that dialogue between these two disciplines is mutually beneficial. Law bridges the defense of rights and technical choices, which are seemingly neutral; while engineering helps the law draft concrete rules that are grounded in the reality of systems.
The proceedings will begin at 9:00 a.m. with opening remarks by Nicola Bianco (Vice Rector of the University of Naples Federico II), Helle Krunke ( President Emerita 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 Master’s Program in Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence), and Francesco Loreto (Coordinator ofthe Italian National Ph.D. Program in Artificial Intelligence, Agrifood and Environment track).
The morning session, “Constitutional Europe and Artificial Intelligence, ” will be chaired by Francisco Balaguer Callejón ( University of Granada) and will feature the following keynote speakers: 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). This will be followed by presentations by Marco Orofino (University of Milan) and Lucilla Gatt ( Director of the Jean Monnet Center of Excellence ReCEPL4STAI), as well as the discussants: 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, ” chaired by Giovanna De Minico, will open with keynote speaker Roberto Andorno (University of Zurich); followed by the presenters: Antonio D’Aloia ( University of Parma), Fulvia Abbondante (Federico II University), Federico Gustavo Pizzetti (University of Milan), and Umberto Ronga; as well as the discussants: Enrico Buono (Saarland University), Vincente P. Grossi (Federico II University), Isabella de Vivo (Sapienza University of Rome), and Stefano Marrone. The closing remarks will be delivered by Massimo Villone, professor emeritus of constitutional law at Federico II.
The event was supported by the Jean Monnet Gender-Inclusive Fair Transformation (GIFT) program, led by Fulvia Abbondante; as well as by the valuable contribution of Graded Spa.
During the conference, the research program for awarding scholarships for the best doctoral dissertations in Artificial Intelligence and the Protection of Fundamental Rights, in the field of Humanities and Social Sciences/STEM, will be presented. Bringing together those who write the rules and those who write the algorithms is the key to a specific vision of innovation: not one that takes precedence over rights, nor one that is subject to them, but one that incorporates them from the very outset of the design process.
The conference will be broadcast by Radio Radicale and can also be followed remotely via this link.