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By Pierluigi Casale (Associate Professor and Area Chair in AI of OPIT, Open Institute of Technology)

AI is revolutionizing institutions and education, but also our daily lives, improving decision-making and energy efficiency, city management, and personalizing learning. Current choices will determine the future of this technology, which must remain a support for humans and not an uncontrolled substitute.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is now at the center of a global debate that touches on regulatory, ethical, geopolitical and applicative aspects. Its evolution, from an experimental technology to an essential tool for analysis and automation, has led to the need for a clear regulatory framework and responsible use.

In my role as an official of the European Parliament, I work on the implementation and oversight of AI systems within the European institutions, contributing to the regulation and management of the challenges that this technology brings. It is important to underline that this article represents only my personal opinion and in no way represents an official position of the European Parliament.

Europe and the regulation of artificial intelligence

Europe is tackling the challenge of regulating AI with the AI ​​Act Regulation, the first comprehensive framework for this instrument. The aim is to find a balance between innovation and the protection of fundamental rights, preventing big tech companies from shaping legislation to their advantage.

Artificial intelligence is nothing more than advanced software and, as such, must be carefully regulated. If used correctly, it can represent an extraordinary opportunity to improve the efficiency and accessibility of information, but it is essential to avoid abuse and market distortions. Something is moving. The AI ​​Act came into force on August 1, 2024. Starting from February 2, 2025, new restrictions have been introduced on some AI practices deemed dangerous , while from August 2, 2025, the full application of governance rules and obligations for general AI models will begin, including verification processes to ensure compliance of AI systems already in use in companies and institutions.

The Ethical Challenges and Risks of AI: Bias, Privacy and Autonomy

Yet there are still several aspects to be fixed. One of the most evident problems of AI concerns algorithmic bias. Facial recognition systems, for example, have returned discriminatory content towards ethnic groups not adequately represented in the training data. This is a clear signal of the need for more inclusive and transparent models.

But there are other open problems: regarding privacy, for example, some AI models (such as DeepSeek) collect sensitive data, including the way we type on the keyboard; the issue of the spread of fake news or autonomy of choice is also always current, just think of the risks that delegating critical decisions to AI in the medical, legal or financial fields can entail. Regulation must ensure that AI remains a support tool and not an uncontrolled substitute for human evaluation.

This is the starting point. If established, shared and guaranteed, then AI can truly be the fulcrum around which the industrial revolution of this century revolves. In some areas it is already like this.

The impact of AI on three pillars of our society : institutions, education and daily life

Once this perimeter is defined, artificial intelligence can have a revolutionary impact on three fundamental pillars of our society: institutions, education and the quality of daily life.

AI in Institutions: Opportunities and Limitations

In institutions, AI can improve the efficiency of decision-making processes, data management and infrastructure security, contributing to more transparent and responsive governance; in education systems, it allows for personalizing learning, supporting the development of digital skills and reducing inequalities in access to knowledge; while, in terms of sustainability and urban management, it offers solutions to optimize energy consumption, improve mobility and promote the creation of more resilient and inclusive smart cities. The common thread that unites these areas is the need for synergic and conscious innovation, capable of integrating AI and putting it at the service of man, ensuring that technological progress is not an end in itself, but oriented towards collective well-being and sustainable development.

AI has been introduced in various institutions, including public ones, to support translators, improving productivity and accuracy. Other very advanced systems allow extracting key information from complex legislative texts. AI is used to protect IT infrastructure and manage data. However, there are significant limitations. For example, a large number of these technologies are trained only on majority languages ​​(English, French, German), creating problems for languages ​​whose presence in the digital world is minority, such as Lithuanian or Maltese. Furthermore, with the entry into force of new regulations, it will be essential to verify that all AI systems used in institutions comply with the criteria of transparency, fairness and security.

AI in Education: Personalization and Democratization of Learning

While AI is revolutionizing institutional and legislative dynamics, its impact is equally significant in the field of education, where it offers new opportunities to personalize learning and improve teaching effectiveness. AI is transforming the way we learn and teach. At OPIT, the university where I teach, we use generative AI to personalize training courses, adapting content to the learning style of each student, improve access to information, with tools that explain code and transform programming languages, support students in checking code, identifying errors and suggesting improvements. AI can democratize education, making it more flexible and effective, without replacing the teacher but acting as a Copilot, an intelligent assistant that guides the student on his path.

AI for sustainability and quality of urban life

In addition to transforming institutions and education systems, AI is also proving its value in areas that are crucial to sustainability and quality of life , such as energy efficiency and city management. For example, DeepMind developed an AI system that significantly improved the energy efficiency of Google’s data centres. This system reduced the energy used for cooling by 40%, leading to an overall improvement of 15% in energy efficiency in some data centres. AI now directly controls cooling systems at some sites, again under human supervision, demonstrating the potential of AI to reduce energy consumption in energy-intensive sectors. Or, with products like TomTom’s Traffic Index, it helps redistribute traffic in cities, reducing congestion.

According to one study, using real-time data for traffic management can reduce commute times in cities by 15-20%. In addition, AI could revolutionize urban resource management, although the full realization of smart cities is still far away. The main obstacle remains the lack of adequate infrastructure in public institutions, which often lack the necessary computational resources.

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Plenty of experienced, expert mentors have already signed up to play their part in the Peer Career Mentoring Program at OPIT. They include managers, analysts, researchers, and more, all ready and eager to share the benefits of their experience and their unique perspectives on the tech industry, careers in tech, and the educational experience at OPIT.

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  • Asya Mantovani: Asya took the MSc in Responsible AI program at OPIT before taking the next steps in her career as a Software Engineer with Accenture, one of the largest IT companies in the world, and a trusted partner of the institute. With a firm belief in knowledge-sharing and mutual support, she’s eager to help students progress and succeed.

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The OPIT Peer Career Mentoring Program is an invaluable source of support, inspiration, motivation, and guidance for the many students and graduates of OPIT who feel the need for a helping hand or guiding light to help them find the way or make the right decisions moving forward. It’s a program built around the sharing of wisdom, skills, and insights, designed to empower all who take part.

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This program is also just one of many ways in which OPIT bridges the gaps between learners around the world, creating a whole community of students and educators, linked together by their shared passions for technology and development. So, even though you may study remotely at OPIT, you never need to feel alone or isolated from your peers.

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The Peer Career Mentoring Program is just one part of the larger array of career services that students enjoy at the Open Institute of Technology.

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  • Resource Hub: Maybe you need help differentiating between various career paths, or seeing where your degree might take you. Or you need a bit of assistance in handling the challenges of the job-hunting process. Either way, the OPIT Resource Hub contains the in-depth guides you need to get ahead and gain practical skills to confidently move forward.
  • Career Events: Regularly, OPIT hosts online career event sessions with industry experts and leaders as guest speakers about the topics that most interest today’s tech students and graduates. You can join workshops to sharpen your skills and become a better prospect in the job market, or just listen to the lessons and insights of the pros.
  • Internship Opportunities: There are few better ways to begin your professional journey than an internship at a top-tier company. OPIT unlocks the doors to numerous internship roles with trusted institute partners, as well as additional professional and project opportunities where you can get hands-on work experience at a high level.

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As well as the Peer Career Mentoring Program, OPIT provides numerous other exciting advantages for those who enroll, including progressive assessments, round-the-clock support, affordable rates, and a team of international professors from top universities with real-world experience in technology. In short, it’s the perfect place to push forward and get the knowledge you need to succeed.

So, if you’re eager to become a tech leader of tomorrow, learn more about OPIT today.

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The Impact of Artificial Intelligence in Our Society
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The world has entered the age of artificial intelligence (AI), and this exciting new technology is already changing the face of society in an ever-growing number of ways. It’s influencing a plethora of industries and sectors, from healthcare and education to finance and urban planning. This guide explores AI’s impact on three of the core pillars of life: business, education, and sustainability.

AI in Business: Unlocking Unprecedented Opportunities

In the world of business, the number of uses of AI is growing by the day. Whether it’s in sales, marketing, customer relations, operational optimization, cybersecurity, data management, or some other aspect of organizational life, there are so many ways this technology can unlock new opportunities or expedite existing processes.

Take data as an example. Many businesses now collect and use large amounts of data to inform their decisions in areas like product development or marketing strategy. But they have, up to now, been limited in how they can structure, visualize, and analyze their data. AI changes all that, as it can dig into vast databases with ease, extracting insights to drive actionable decisions in no time.

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AI in Education: Democratizing and Accelerating the Learning Process

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On a broader level, there’s clear potential for AI to democratize education across the globe, making learning more accessible to all. That includes those in developing nations who may normally lack opportunities to gain knowledge and skills to achieve their ambitions. If harnessed correctly and responsibly, this technology could elevate education to whole new heights.

AI in Sustainability: Smarter Cities and Next-Level Efficiency

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This tech is also making cities smarter, more efficient, and more pleasant in which to live through AI-powered navigation aids or traffic redistribution systems. It also holds potential for future urban planning, city development, and infrastructure construction, provided the correct systems and frameworks can be established to make the best use of AI’s advantages.

The Ethical Challenges and Risks of AI

Despite its almost countless advantages and possible applications, AI is not without its flaws. This technology brings challenges and risks to go along with its opportunities, and five leading examples include:

  • Bias: Algorithmic bias is an issue that has already presented itself during the relatively brief existence of AI so far. Some systems, for example, have issued responses or generated content that could be classified as discriminatory or prejudiced, due to the training data they were given.
  • Privacy: There are fears among populations and analysts about the amount of data being fed into AI systems and how such data could be misused, potentially violating people’s rights of privacy and falling foul of data privacy regulations, such as GDPR.
  • Misuse: Like so many game-changing technologies, AI has the potential to be used for both benevolent and malicious purposes. It may be used to spread misinformation and “fake news,” influence public opinion, or even in cyber-attacks, for instance.
  • Over-reliance: AI is so powerful, with the capacity to carry out tasks with remarkable precision and speed, that it will be tempting for organizations to integrate it into many of their workflows and decision-making processes. But AI cannot be treated as a substitute for human judgment.
  • Sustainability: There are also fears about the energy costs associated with AI and the data centers needed to power it, plus the fact that some elements of the burgeoning AI industry may exploit workers in poorer nations worldwide.

Solving These Challenges: Regulation and Responsible Use of AI

With the right approach, it is possible to solve all the above challenges, and more, making AI the most valuable and beneficial new technology the world has seen since the advent of the internet. This will require a two-pronged strategy focusing on both regulation and responsible usage.

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By establishing rules and regulations about AI’s usage and educating the tech leaders of tomorrow in how to work with AI in a fair and responsible way, the future is bright for this exciting and extraordinary new technology.

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