The 2026 edition of Mind Machines – Dialogues on AI will open in Turin with a reflection on one of the most compelling frontiers in the evolution of artificial intelligence: the emergence of personal AI systems designed to operate alongside individuals in everyday life.
The inaugural event of the new programme will feature Guido Saracco, professor at Politecnico di Torino and Rector of the university from 2018 to 2024. His monologue, titled “The Digital Ally. Our Personal AI”, will take place on Tuesday, 24 March, at 6:30 pm at OGR Torino (Binario 3).
Mind Machines – Dialogues on AI is a multidisciplinary series of public conversations organised by the Italian Institute of Artificial Intelligence (AI4I), Fondazione CRT and OGR Torino. The initiative explores the cultural, scientific and societal implications of artificial intelligence, bringing together researchers, technologists, artists and thinkers to examine the transformations shaping the relationship between humans and intelligent machines.
Saracco’s lecture-performance draws inspiration from his recent book Alleati digitali. La nostra IA personale (Laterza) and explores the emerging paradigm of individual artificial intelligence assistants. Through a narrative that connects neuroscience, human–machine interfaces and technological innovation, the talk invites the audience to imagine a near future in which every individual interacts with a dedicated AI system designed to support learning, professional activity and everyday decision-making.
The concept of a personal digital ally opens new questions about the way knowledge is produced, organised and accessed. As AI systems evolve from tools used occasionally into continuous cognitive companions, their presence may influence education, professional environments and the broader architecture of knowledge systems. Saracco’s intervention will address these developments from an interdisciplinary perspective, examining the opportunities and challenges that emerge when artificial intelligence becomes embedded in the daily intellectual life of individuals.
The opening lecture of the 2026 cycle sets the tone for the broader ambitions of Mind Machines, a programme conceived to foster dialogue across disciplines and sectors at a moment when artificial intelligence is reshaping both technological infrastructures and cultural frameworks.
About Guido Saracco
Guido Saracco is Full Professor of Chemical Foundations of Technologies at Politecnico di Torino, where he served as Rector from 2018 to 2024. His research activity spans chemical engineering, nanotechnologies, renewable energy systems and sustainability-oriented technologies.
Author of more than 500 scientific publications, Saracco has long been engaged in initiatives aimed at strengthening the dialogue between scientific research, technological innovation and society. He is also the curator of Biennale Tecnologia, the international festival organised by Politecnico di Torino that explores the relationship between technological change and contemporary society.
Through both his academic work and his public engagement, Saracco has contributed to shaping the debate on how emerging technologies influence economic development, education and cultural life.
The opening event of Mind Machines – Dialogues on AI will offer the public an opportunity to explore one of the most intriguing scenarios in the evolution of artificial intelligence: a future in which each individual may interact with their own digital ally, reshaping the way knowledge, work and decision-making are organised in everyday life.
