THE LINK BETWEEN ENERGY AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: COSTS AND BENEFITS

Organised by Cdo Energia

Vincenzo Colla, Vice President of the Regione Emilia-Romagna with responsibility for Economic Development and Green Economy, Energy, Vocational Training, University and Research; Franco Cotana, CEO of RSE; Maurizio Delfanti, Professor of Electrical Power Systems, Politecnico di Milano; Giulia Giacometti, Head of Operations at Acea Acqua; Italo Moroni, Executive Director of Energy & Utilities Engineering. Moderated by Felice Vai, Vice President of Compagnia delle Opere

AI can improve productivity, make industrial processes more efficient, optimize consumption, and reduce waste, but these benefits come with very concrete material costs, involving energy, data centers, infrastructure, and water use. The meeting offers a balanced analysis of the relationship between AI costs and benefits, avoiding both abstract enthusiasm and purely alarmist interpretations. The discussion will center on an essential question: what advantages does artificial intelligence really produce? What costs does it place on the energy and territorial system, and what public criteria are needed to assess its overall sustainability?