Yesterday, May 27, the final event of the first pilot edition of DialogAI was held in Rome. This project, promoted by the National Research Council (CNR), the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF), the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), and the National Institute of Geology and Volcanology (INGV), aims to introduce students to science and the informed use of artificial intelligence through the medium of theater.
The DialogAI project was born with the aim of introducing younger generations to science and the history of science through the creative and informed use of artificial intelligence. High school students are asked to devise and stage imaginary science-themed dialogues between leading figures in science, philosophy, and culture, using AI tools to support research, writing, and narrative construction. The dialogues, lasting up to ten minutes, can involve scientists from different eras, along with philosophers, artists, key cultural figures, or fictional characters.
This year, 60 groups, each composed of three students, from 11 Italian schools, participated in DialogAI. Of these, eight groups were selected to compete during the final event and perform their dialogues live in the form of a theatrical performance, giving voice to original exchanges between key figures in human thought and bringing to life ideas and insights that have shaped the history of scientific and cultural knowledge.
The jury, composed of researchers from the organizing bodies, awarded the victory to the dialogue "The Symposium of Synapses," dedicated to the theme of the human brain, by the "Serial Thinkers" group composed of Claudia Colamarino, Patrizio Ciaravolo, and Sabrina Pagliaro from the "A. Nobel" Scientific High School in Torre del Greco (Naples). In second place was "Last Orbit" of the "2 Centimeters per Second" project, with Emanuele Carnevali, Sara Nagni, and Alessia Bartoli from the "MT Cicerone" Classical-Linguistic High School in Frascati (Rome), while the dialogue "The Masks of War" by the "The Daltons" group composed of Rinaldo Fracassa, Giuseppe Ettorre, and Mattia Marinelli from the "A. Einstein" Scientific High School in Teramo (AQ) took third place.
The DialogAI project:
The initiative aims to develop creative writing, research, and public speaking skills, while promoting a critical and responsible use of artificial intelligence. DialogAI aims to demonstrate how AI can become a tool capable of stimulating curiosity, imagination, and learning, without ever replacing critical thinking, checking sources, and adherence to scientific content.
