Professor Marco Romano (UNINT) Discusses the Future of AI and Human-Centred Innovation in New Interview
Professor Marco Romano (UNINT), one of the academic partners in Virtual Innovation Consortium (VIC), has shared his perspectives on the future of artificial intelligence, immersive technologies, cybersecurity and the role of people in the technological transformation of Europe in a newly published interview with FAKTI.
The interview, titled “Professor Marco Romano tells FAKTI: The Greatest Challenge in Artificial Intelligence Is Ensuring That Humans Are Not Left Behind,” explores some of the most pressing questions surrounding the rapid development of AI and emerging technologies.
Speaking to FAKTI, Professor Romano emphasises that technological progress must remain closely connected to human values. As artificial intelligence increasingly changes professional roles and the way people interact with technology, he argues that the next generation of specialists must understand not only how to build new systems, but also their ethical, legal, social and psychological consequences.
Preparing Europe’s next generation of technology specialists
A central focus of the interview is the mission of VIC: to help prepare professionals and researchers for a rapidly changing technological landscape.
The consortium brings together universities and other organisations to develop expertise across artificial intelligence, extended reality (XR), cybersecurity and human-computer interaction. Its educational activities include three coordinated Master’s programmes, an online Advanced Training Programme and a travelling annual Summer School.
Professor Romano explains that the programmes are deliberately multidisciplinary. Students combine technical education with subjects such as ethics, law, economics and the social impact of innovation. Collaboration between students from technology, science, economics and the humanities is also intended to encourage new perspectives and keep human values at the centre of technological development.
The interview also highlights the practical dimension of the programmes. Students can work with immersive devices, artificial intelligence technologies and robotics platforms, gaining experience with technologies that are already entering industry as well as those expected to shape future human-computer interaction. “Never stop studying”
For young people considering careers in AI, cybersecurity and emerging technologies, Professor Romano offers a straightforward message: never stop studying.
Technologies evolve quickly, meaning that today’s specialist knowledge can soon become outdated. Continuous learning, he argues, provides people not only with technical knowledge but also with the critical tools needed to adapt to technological change and actively shape its direction.
The interview offers a timely reflection on one of the defining challenges of the digital era: how to ensure that technological progress serves people rather than leaving them behind.
Read the full interview with Professor Marco Romano on FAKTI: