ROME · 18–20 JUNE 2026
The questions AI is asking of us.
The Third Annual Conference on AI, Ethics, and Governance convenes policymakers, scholars, industry, and civil society in Rome to confront what artificial intelligence demands of our institutions.
Hosted in partnership with the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Italian Ministry of Enterprises.
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
A conference with a thesis, not just a theme.
The EU AI Act has been enacted. The United States has issued and rescinded executive orders. The Holy See has published the Rome Call for AI Ethics. The G7 has issued the Hiroshima Process Code of Conduct. And yet the questions that matter most — about accountability, about labor, about the moral status of automated decisions, about whose values are encoded into systems used by billions — remain unsettled.
Rome 2026 is built around a single proposition: that the governance of artificial intelligence is not a technical problem awaiting a technical solution, but an institutional one that requires the people who run institutions to sit in the same room. For three days, in three of those rooms, we intend to do exactly that.
The governance of AI is not a technical problem awaiting a technical solution.
PROGRAM
Three days. Three rooms. One conversation.
Arrival & private tour of the Roman Forum
Guided walk through the Forum at golden hour, accompanied by the archaeological superintendent. Concludes at the Curia Julia for the opening ceremony.
Dr. Alfonsina Russo · Parco Archeologico del Colosseo
Opening address — The Republic and the Algorithm
European AI Rising Stars Awards 2026 Ceremony
Opening dinner — Palazzo Colonna
Program subject to revision. Last updated 15 February 2026. Simultaneous translation provided in English, Italian, and French.
SPEAKERS
Convened, not curated.
The 2026 program brings together voices from policy, research, industry, law, and civil society. Confirmations are released monthly through April. The following names indicate the institutions and disciplines represented in conversations now underway — full speaker biographies will be published as participation is confirmed.
Policy & Government
In confirmation
- A senior figure from the European Commission's AI office
- A co-rapporteur of the EU AI Act
- A former European digital minister
- A representative of the Italian Ministry of Enterprises
- A former senior White House technology advisor
Academia & Research
In confirmation
- A founding figure in modern AI safety research
- The director of a leading European AI policy institute
- A scholar of digital ethics from Yale
- A specialist in algorithmic accountability from Oxford
- A philosopher of technology from Bocconi
Industry
In confirmation
- A senior policy lead from a frontier AI laboratory
- A founder of a European foundation-model company
- A chief AI officer from a multinational financial institution
- A senior figure from a Big Tech AI division
Civil Society & Faith
In confirmation
- A representative of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences
- The founder of a major algorithmic accountability organization
- A leading voice on AI and the Global South
- A senior figure from a European digital rights group
Law & Governance
In confirmation
- A constitutional scholar from Columbia Law
- A senior partner from a leading European technology practice
- A former judge with expertise in fundamental rights and AI
Speakers are confirmed individually. The first wave of named participants will be announced in early March 2026.
Be notified of speaker announcements →AWARDS
The European AI Rising Stars Awards
Now in its second year, the European AI Rising Stars Awards recognize researchers, founders, civil society leaders, and public servants under 35 whose work is shaping the responsible trajectory of artificial intelligence in Europe.
Five recipients are selected each year by an independent jury and honored at the opening ceremony in the Curia Julia. Recipients receive a €25,000 unrestricted grant, a residency at the European University Institute, and ongoing access to the Foundation's network of policy and research mentors.
Past recipients
Aisha Khoury
Algorithmic accountability research · Imperial College London
Tomas Vergara
Civic AI tooling · founder of Civio.ai
Sigrid Lehmann
Public-sector AI ethics · German Bundestag
Karim El-Sayed
Multilingual model evaluation · EPFL
SELECTION COMMITTEE
TWO YEARS. ONE CONVERSATION.
2025 Conference highlight reel
3 min
The only conference I attend where the regulators, the lab leaders, and the philosophers actually talk to each other instead of past each other.
The most candid off-the-record conversation on enforcement I have been part of in five years of this work.
Holding this in the rooms where European institutions were built changes the quality of the conversation. It is impossible to be glib in the Curia Julia.
AS COVERED IN
WHO ATTENDS
By invitation, by registration, by application.
POLICYMAKERS & INSTITUTIONS
Those drafting and enforcing the rules.
Previously represented:
- European Commission
- Italian Ministry of Enterprises
- OECD
- Council of Europe
- UK AI Safety Institute
ACADEMICS & RESEARCHERS
Those producing the evidence base.
Previously represented:
- Mila
- Stanford HAI
- Oxford Internet Institute
- Bocconi
- European University Institute
INDUSTRY LEADERS
Those building and deploying systems at scale.
Previously represented:
- Anthropic
- Google DeepMind
- Mistral
- Aleph Alpha
- Telecom Italia
LEGAL & GOVERNANCE EXPERTS
Those translating principles into instruments.
Previously represented:
- Columbia Law
- Bird & Bird
- Hogan Lovells
- Allen & Overy
- Cleary Gottlieb
CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS
Those holding the rest of us accountable.
Previously represented:
- Algorithm Watch
- Access Now
- Reset.Tech
- DAIR Institute
- EDRi
VENUES
Three rooms with histories of their own.
DAY 1
Wednesday, 18 June
Curia Julia
Roman Forum
Built by Julius Caesar, completed by Augustus, and the seat of the Roman Senate for over four centuries. Re-opened to the Foundation by special arrangement with the Parco Archeologico del Colosseo for the opening ceremony and awards.
Open in Maps
DAY 2
Thursday, 19 June
Palazzo Piacentini
Via Veneto 33
Headquarters of the Italian Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy. The Salone degli Arazzi, where Day 2 convenes, has hosted European industrial policy negotiations since the post-war reconstruction.
Open in Maps
DAY 3
Friday, 20 June
Casina Pio IV
Vatican Gardens
A 16th-century villa within the Vatican Gardens, home to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences since 1936. The Academy's membership has included Marconi, Heisenberg, Hawking, and Vera Rubin.
Open in MapsREGISTRATION
Three tiers. No hidden pricing.
GENERAL ADMISSION
€1,850
- Full access, all three days
- Conference materials
- Simultaneous translation EN / IT / FR
- Working lunches
ACADEMIC / CIVIL SOCIETY
€650
ID required
- Full access, all three days
- Conference materials
- Simultaneous translation EN / IT / FR
- Working lunches
PATRON
€6,500
Limited to 25
- Everything in General, plus:
- Private dinner at Palazzo Colonna
- Reserved seating
- Foundation patron circle
- Year-round briefings
Tax-deductible portion: €4,650
Included for all registrants: working lunches, conference materials, simultaneous translation (EN / IT / FR), opening reception. Not included: travel, accommodation, opening dinner (Patron tier only).
For press
Press contact: press@foundationaieg.org
Embargo: program details under embargo until 1 March 2026.
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