Photo Laura Ockel / Unsplash
Artificial Intelligence is changing its nature. For years, it was primarily discussed in terms of algorithms, software, and applications. Today, the real competition is increasingly centered on energy, computing power, semiconductors, infrastructure, and data control. This is where the economic and geopolitical balance of the coming decades is being shaped.
This was the key message delivered by Fabio Pammolli, President of the Italian Institute for Artificial Intelligence (AI4I), during his appearance on Pillole di Eta Beta on Rai Radio1 on June 12, hosted by Barbara Carfagna and Massimo Cerofolini.
From Generative AI to Infrastructure AI
According to Pammolli, recent developments highlight how Artificial Intelligence must now be understood through multiple lenses: technology, industry, geopolitics, and security.
Debates around regulation, competition between the United States, Europe, and China, the expansion of major digital platforms, and the growing importance of computational infrastructure all point to the same conclusion: AI is becoming a strategic infrastructure.
Whoever Controls Energy, Chips, and Data Controls the Game
“The map of industrial and geopolitical power is no longer determined by who has the most powerful app, but by who controls energy, chips, model development, and data.”
In this global race, the United States maintains a leading position thanks to hyperscalers and foundation models. China has built an integrated domestic ecosystem spanning infrastructure, hardware, platforms, and applications. Europe benefits from a strong industrial base and world-class scientific capabilities, yet faces the challenge of strengthening its technological infrastructure and strategic autonomy.
For Italy, the Challenge Runs Through Industry
For Italy’s productive system, Artificial Intelligence represents one of the most significant growth opportunities of the coming years.
The integration of data, sensors, and intelligent systems into production processes directly affects key sectors of the national economy, including advanced manufacturing, mechanical engineering, mechatronics, pharmaceuticals, fashion, and design. According to Pammolli, the adaptability that has long characterized Italian entrepreneurship remains one of the country’s greatest assets in navigating this transformation.
AI4I: Turning Research into Industrial Capability
Established in Turin in 2024, the Italian Institute for Artificial Intelligence (AI4I) was created to strengthen the connection between advanced research and industrial applications.
The Institute is developing a portfolio of research units focused on areas such as new materials, production process optimization, and agentic systems, while also creating tools designed to accelerate AI adoption across the industrial ecosystem.
Among these initiatives is SUK (System User Knowledge), a platform that connects companies seeking AI solutions with technology providers, helping to match industrial needs with available expertise and innovation capabilities.
The Competition of the Next Decade
Artificial Intelligence remains a technological frontier. Increasingly, however, it is also becoming an industrial, energy, and geopolitical issue. The ability to transform research, infrastructure, and skills into productive capacity will be one of the defining factors of competitiveness for countries and businesses over the next decade.
This is the challenge Europe faces. It is also the challenge to which AI4I is committed to contributing.
