Lugano AI Week 2025: USI to Play a Key Role in the Second Edition

From 1 to 5 December 2025, Asilo Ciani will host the second Lugano AI Week, an event promoted by Lugano Living Lab dedicated to the impact of artificial intelligence on creativity, health, society and the economy. The USI faculties, as well as some of its services and academic and research units - in particular IDSIA USI-SUPSI, L'ideatorio, USI Startup Centre and CCdigitallaw - will actively contribute to the programme with talks, workshops, presentations and guided tours.

Lugano AI Week returns with five days filled with conferences, debates and free activities open to everyone: citizens, schools, businesses, professionals and anyone curious about the changes generated by artificial intelligence. With over 50 speakers—ranging from experts and researchers to entrepreneurs, executives, and artists—participants will gain diverse insights into a rapidly evolving field.

Below are the topics scheduled for each day, along with USI's involvement.

Monday, 1 December – Creating with AI

The first day will be dedicated to new human-machine creative processes, with workshops on producing content generated by artificial intelligence and panels on copyright and intellectual property. The events involving USI will be:

5:30–5:45 pm – Main Stage

AI, Creativity and Rights: Where Do We Draw the Line? A moment to navigate between innovation and ethics.

Moderators:

• Anna Picco Schwendener, Senior Researcher at USI and Head of the Competence Centre in Digital Law (CCdigitallaw, USI)
• Gianfranco Valsecchi, Legal Expert at CCdigitallaw, USI

Tuesday, 2 December – Algorithms, Wellbeing and Knowledge

The second day will address the relationship between artificial intelligence, health, wellbeing and new learning models. The presentations involving USI will be:

9:20–9:35 am – Talk

The Hybrid Mind: Between the Human Psyche and Artificial Intelligence

• Prof. Andrea Raballo, Professor of Psychiatry, USI.

9:35–10:15 am – Panel

Mental health, ethics and digital wellbeing

• Prof. Andrea Raballo, Professor of Psychiatry, USI
• Joy Bordini, CEO Go Healthy & Co

11:45 am –12:20 pm – Panel

The use of AI in adolescence. Feedback from the experiential workshop held with students.

Moderator:

• Elena Marchiori, Project Manager, Lugano Living Lab - City of Lugano and Lecturer, USI

Speakers:

• Silvia Misiti, Director, IBSA Foundation for scientific research
• Dario Gennari, Psychologist and Psychotherapist, Rete Operativa
• Alberto Termine, Senior Researcher, SUPSI, IDSIA USI-SUPSI
• Francesca Mangili, Senior Researcher, SUPSI, IDSIA USI-SUPSI
• Valeria Doratiotto Prinsi, Director and Teacher, Liceo Lugano 1
• With the participation of class 1A of Liceo Lugano 1

3:20–3:40 pm – Talk

Artificial intelligence in family medicine: trust, communication and care

• Dr Serena Petrocchi, Lecturer and Researcher, Institute of Family Medicine, USI

4:00 – 5:00 pm – Workshop (registration required)

AI and us: experimentation and critical reflection

• Alessio Lavio, L'ideatorio USI
• Janos Cont, L'ideatorio USI

Wednesday, 3 December – Robots, power and geopolitics

The morning of the third day will be dedicated to robotics, while the afternoon will focus on algorithms, power and geopolitics. The presentations involving USI will be:

9:00 – 9:20 am – Talk

Touching AI: the materiality of digital technology and its consequences

• Prof. Gabriele Balbi, Professor of Media Studies, USI

10:45 am –12 pm – Live Demo

Robots in action

Moderator:

• Anna Picco Schwendener, Senior Researcher, USI, Head of CCdigitallaw
• Gianfranco Valsecchi, Legal Expert, CCdigitallaw

Speakers:

• Alessio Lavio, L’ideatorio USI
• Janos Cont, L’ideatorio USI
• Antonio Paolillo, Senior Researcher SUPSI, IDSIA USI-SUPSI
• Loris Roveda, Associate Professor SUPSI, IDSIA USI-SUPSI and Politecnico di Milano
• Stefano Baraldo, Senior Researcher and Lecturer SUPSI
• Didier Gaberell, CEO AlphaSolve Sagl

4:00 pm–4:45 pm – Panel

Data sovereignty and digitalisation in the age of AI for the city of the future

• Prof. Luca Maria Gambardella, Pro-Rector for Innovation and Corporate Relations, USI
• Maria Grazia Giuffreda, Associate Director, CSCS
• Silvia Quarteroni, Head of Innovation, Swiss Data Science Centre EPFL/ETH
• Bruno Giussani, curator and international expert in digital culture
• Prof. Emanuele Carpanzano, Director of Research, Development and Knowledge Transfer, SUPSI
• Moderator: Generoso Chiaradonna, Economics Editor-in-Chief, Corriere del Ticino

Thursday, 4 December – AI in business

The fourth day will focus on the impact of artificial intelligence on businesses, the transformation of business models and the role of leadership. The presentations involving USI will be:

9:30 –10:15 am – Panel

Driving transformation in the age of artificial intelligence

• Prof. Luca Maria Gambardella, CEO of Artificialy SA
• Eleonora Goia, Accenture Switzerland
• Robert Bregy, Municipal Secretary, City of Lugano
• Daniel Trzesniak, Partner, EY
• Cecilia Felici, International Marketing & Communication Manager, Var Group
• Moderator: Alessandro Soldati

11:20–11:50 am – Talk

Beyond the Hype: How AI Startups Create Scalable Solutions

Moderator:

• Samuele Morales, USC Incubator Coordinator, USI Startup Centre (USC)

With:

• Gianvito Grasso, CEO and Founder, InVirtuoLabs
• Dario Mantegazza, CEO and Founder, Flycatcher

2:30–2:50 pm – Speech

From laboratories to the market: AI applied to Swiss research

• Prof. Andrea Emilio Rizzoli, Director of IDSIA USI-SUPSI

2:40–3 pm – Talk

AI-based forecasting and market expectations: a self-fulfilling prophecy? (IN ENGLISH)

• Prof. Edoardo Beretta, Professor of Monetary Economics, USI

6:00–6:30 pm – Panel

Final Panel – Angels and Demons in the Age of AI

• Markus Krienke – the voice of ethics, Professor of Theology and researcher, USI
• Matteo Flora – the voice of provocation
• Michele Foletti – the voice of decision, Mayor of Lugano
• Alessandro Soldati – the voice that orchestrates, balances and urges the decision-maker to choose

Friday, 5 December – Open doors: inside Lugano's AI

The last day will offer a widespread itinerary among research centres and institutions in the area. The stages linked to USI:

• IDSIA USI-SUPSI – East Campus, Lugano-Viganello
• Every half hour from 11:00 to 12:00 and between 2:00 and 3:00 pm, it will be possible to visit the laboratories where algorithms and robotic prototypes are created. IDSIA researchers will accompany participants on a journey of discovery through projects and experiments. Registration is still open, with a few places available.
• The USI Ideatorio – Cadro
• Access to the exhibition "Robots. From automation to Artificial Intelligence" (with a special AI Week discount on Saturday, 6 December).

The full programme and registration details are available on the event's official website.