At first glance, culture and technology may appear mutually exclusive categories, but that has not always been the case. The Italian Classical and Renaissance traditions were a continuous intermingling of humanism and science that only the twentieth century interrupted. Reuniting them to create a “polytechnic culture” could prove fundamental to confronting major changes, such as the digital and environmental transitions, that are now having a radical effect on daily life and habits and will continue to do so in the future. Revival of that polytechnic culture will require both an understanding of a constantly evolving political and social context and the ability to analyse the economic challenges and opportunities offered by technological development.
Industrial revolutions historically came along every hundred years or so, yet today’s sweeping transformations suggest an average frequency of every 5 years. Among the principal elements of the current fourth industrial revolution is Artificial Intelligence (AI), the use of which makes it possible, for example, to go beyond the classic industrial paradigm that pits mass production against product personalization. The result is a “mass customerization” of goods and services tailored to the needs of individual users that can also have substantial effects in terms of sustainability. Obviously, AI cannot and must not replace humans, but rather supplement and perhaps guide behavior. As is true of all revolutions, therefore, the digital and environmental ones must set clear goals and the means for achieving them. That calls for a leadership – made up of the business community, policy-makers and “simple” citizens – that is more competent and aware of the possible economic and social impact of their actions.
To that end, one of the main challenges for Italy is going to be to upgrade the digital literacy of its citizens and the quality of its human capital, parameters in reference to which Italy is ranked fifth to the last and last, respectively, on the European Commission’s DESI report. In addition to boosting infrastructure, the most effective instrument by which to provide individuals, organizations and enterprises with the skills needed to understand and steer change remains education. Naturally, both intervening at the level of curricula and adapting to the requirements of the changing world, without stopping at merely following them. The timeframes of study and production – the former currently covering a span of 20 or more years, the latter being much swifter – need to be reconciled. That calls for tools that make it possible to analyse complexity rather than specific content, and to build capacities for debate and critical thinking. Inter-disciplinary dialogue and intersecting study streams would facilitate the creation of more robust profiles supported by a life-long learning approach aimed at equipping people to confront both rapid socioeconomic changes and the uncertainties of the times.
Italy has an undeniable advantage in its artistic and historic patrimony and in the inherent creativity of its cultural tradition, which can be combined with digital instruments to generate value in the form of goods and services thanks to a high level of industrial innovation and some highly successful brands. These same elements can contribute to the development of a new generation of hybrid manager types, e.g. engineer-poets, tech-philosophers, artist-researchers, and so forth. The education offered by Italian high schools is unique in the world for its solid grounding in the humanistic sciences, which are and will continue to be the main ingredient in human-centered innovation.
Naturally, managing this macro-transition – digital, economic and social – cannot be accomplished without the active contribution of policy-makers, who are called upon to invest in education, research and innovation in a pact that goes beyond Italy’s typical fragmentation to build a modern system consistent with the momentous changes underway.