PRESS RELEASE BY ERIKA CIANCIO – 3RD FESTIVAL OF SOCIAL PROGRESS
THURSDAY, 6 NOVEMBER 2025 15:59:55
FARINET (PUBBLICITÀ PROGRESSO): REGULATING DIGITAL IDENTITY AND STRENGTHENING ONLINE AUTHENTICITY (DIRE) Rome, 6 Nov. – Yesterday, the third edition of the Festival del Progresso Sociale (Social Progress Festival), promoted by the Fondazione Pubblicità Progresso (Progress Advertising Foundation), was held in the Sala della Regina of the Chamber of Deputies, dedicated to the theme ‘Digital prosperity and poverty. How can artificial intelligence promote or limit social progress?’. The initiative, moderated by journalist and Tg4 presenter Manuela Boselli, brought together representatives from institutions, academia, communications and business to discuss how digital transformation and artificial intelligence can contribute to more equitable and sustainable development. After institutional greetings from the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Lorenzo Fontana, the debate opened with a reflection on the human value of technology.
Fontana pointed out that ‘artificial intelligence offers scenarios full of potential but also risks that must be understood and managed. It is an extraordinary resource, capable of improving the country’s competitiveness and economic efficiency, but it cannot replace the creative and relational activities that are unique to human beings. Innovation must serve humanity, and not vice versa, always keeping people and the quality of social relationships at the centre.’ The President of the Pubblicità Progresso Foundation, Andrea FARINET, drew attention to the need to regulate digital identity and combat the risks associated with online counterfeiting. FARINET stated: “It is necessary to set up a technical committee to arrive at a bipartisan law in the coming months that promotes secure authentication of digital identity. We need a new form of literacy, starting in schools, to make citizens more aware of how artificial intelligence works.” During the first round table, “Digital prosperity: what opportunities for the Italian system?”, scientist Ilaria Capua, Senior Fellow of Global Health at Johns Hopkins University SAIS Europe, described artificial intelligence as “a wonderful accelerator”, capable of processing enormous amounts of data and supporting scientific research, for example in the fight against antibiotic resistance.
However, he warned, “we need to recover citizens’ trust in institutions and science, because technology alone is not enough”. Giulio Lo Iacono, Secretary General of ASviS, stressed that artificial intelligence can be a powerful ally of sustainability, as long as it is accompanied by clear rules and a strong investment in digital skills: only 46% of Italian companies use data strategically, while one in four workers does not have basic digital skills. In the healthcare sector, Barbara Mangiacavalli, President of the National Federation of Orders of Nursing Professions (FNOPI), stressed the need for continuous training on artificial intelligence for all healthcare professionals, but also for patients and caregivers, to prevent technological innovation from becoming a further factor of inequality in a country that is aging rapidly. During the Festival, the new #FUORIDALVETRO social communication campaign was also presented, conceived by the Pubblicità Progresso Foundation in collaboration with PhoenixADV, dedicated to the theme of relational poverty and social isolation in the digital age. The 2025 edition of the Festival confirmed its role as a national platform for dialogue and discussion between experts, institutions and civil society, promoting an open debate on the ethical and cultural responsibilities of artificial intelligence and the urgency of building an authentic, equitable and inclusive digital future.
