Università Bocconi, Università Statale di Milano, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca and Politecnico di Milano have joined forces to create a centre of excellence for research and training on artificial intelligence and machine learning. The four universities have become a unit of ELLIS, the European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems. The initiative was presented today at Milan City Hall, in the presence of the Mayor Giuseppe Sala, by the Rector of Università Bocconi, Gianmario Verona, the Deputy Rector of Università Statale, Maria Pia Abbracchio, the Rector of Università di Milano-Bicocca, Giovanna Iannantuoni, and the Rector of Politecnico di Milano, Ferruccio Resta.
Founded in 2018, ELLIS is the association that brings together Europe's top artificial intelligence scientists and academics with the aim of promoting scientific development on the subject in Europe. Artificial intelligence and machine learning are at the heart of a technological and social revolution that is transforming every aspect of society, and consequently it is on these issues, that Europe is basing and will increasingly base its competitiveness against the giants of the sector, the United States and China. The same applies to Italy, where the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) identifies the development of artificial intelligence as one of the key points for economic recovery in Italy.
The new ELLIS unit will have the mission of making Milan one of Europe's leading AI and machine learning research centres. There are four lines of research: interactive machine learning, which studies the interaction of an algorithm with the environment; neural networks and deep learning; health and computational biology, which applies AI to medicine; and the use of AI for the analysis and processing of natural language.
"Today, economic and social sciences are called upon to have a continuous and reciprocal exchange with artificial intelligence, in order to be able to analyse scenarios that are increasingly complex and produce knowledge that has a positive impact on society," explains the rector of Università Bocconi, Gianmario Verona "The multidisciplinary approach and collaboration between Milan's universities is therefore crucial for developing knowledge in this field and for giving Milan a leading role at European level. While it is true that AI provides important stimuli for the development of economic sciences, it is also true that these sciences give strong impetus to the technological development of AI and machine learning. At Università Bocconi, this interaction forms the focus of specific initiatives both on the educational front, such as the Bachelor in Mathematical and Computing Sciences for Artificial Intelligence, and on the research front, with the study of deep learning algorithms, natural language processing, the connection between machine learning and computational neuroscience, algorithmic game theory, the use of cryptography in machine learning processes and the ethical aspects of AI and machine learning".
"Milan is once again investing in the future," says the Rector of Università di Milano-Bicocca, Giovanna Iannantuoni. "The evolution of Artificial Intelligence has made it possible to define effective solutions to complex problems in a variety of fields, from marketing to medicine. Establishing a centre of excellence for research and training in artificial intelligence and machine learning means being ready to accept the challenge of scientific development at European level. Università di Milano-Bicocca has already promoted joint initiatives with other universities in Lombardy in the AI field; the bachelor's degree in Artificial Intelligence is a course conducted together with the University of Milan and the University of Pavia, with which two master's degree courses in AI are being developed. As far as AI research is concerned, Università di Milano-Bicocca is active in several fields, such as natural language analysis and understanding, computational biology and medicine, image analysis, and the definition of innovative approaches relating to neurosymbolic AI”.
"As a “generalist” university encompassing everything from scientific, technological and biomedical disciplines to socio-economic, legal and humanistic disciplines, Università Statale di Milano is already in a privileged position to take on the challenge of artificial intelligence, which is by definition transverse to all disciplines. This started with the foundation, in 2019, of the Joint Lab for Embodied Artificial Intelligence at Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi, and continues in 2021 with the opening, together with two universities in Lombardy, of the first degree course in Artificial Intelligence,” says Maria Pia Abbracchio, deputy rector designated to Research and Innovation at Università Statale di Milano. "The university is now ready to take on the challenge of ELLIS, and it is proud, thanks to Prof. Nicolò Cesa Bianchi who will head the unit for the first year, to start at the forefront to exploit the great wealth generated by the analysis of big data and their application to environmental and human health".
"The centrality of the issues relating to artificial intelligence and machine learning, their uses and repercussions at economic and social level give technical and scientific universities a great responsibility," comments the Rector of Politecnico di Milano, Ferruccio Resta. "Technological development is anything but neutral: it is a complex process, as is reflected by the four lines of research that we have decided to adopt: interaction with the environment; neural networks and deep learning; medicine; and language. It must therefore be anticipated, managed and shared. Combining the best academic resources and making Milan a centre of excellence is our duty towards the development and growth not only of our city, but also of the country and the university system, which is increasingly called upon to operate according to a logic of interaction and exchange. A call that Politecnico di Milano is answering through a virtuous collaboration with the other universities. A winning model to strive for in a European setting”.
The four proponents and scientific coordinators of the Unit, one from each University, will take it in turns to lead the Unit: Nicolò Cesa-Bianchi (Professor of Computer Science, Università Statale di Milano, who will lead the group as director for the first year), Nicola Gatti (Associate Professor of Computer Engineering, Politecnico di Milano), Gabriella Pasi (Professor of Computer Science, Università degli studi di Milano Bicocca) and Riccardo Zecchina (Professor of Theoretical Physics, Università Bocconi).