In April, the chapter held an annual conference in Rome at the Casa dell'Aviatore, entitled Defending Against Fake News, Digital Interceptions and Information Manipulation: the Role of AI. The event explored the link between disinformation, hybrid threats and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) as a strategic tool for cybersecurity and cognitive defense.
Lt. Gen. Antonio Tangorra opened the meeting, emphasizing the urgency of addressing disinformation and digital manipulation, increasingly relevant threats to national security and the resilience of democratic societies.
Chiara Camerani, CEPIC, highlighted how disinformation thrives on infodemia, functional illiteracy and cognitive bias. Social media and algorithms reinforce these dynamics, fostering polarization and the propagation of conspiracy, which can lead to violent extremism.
Maria Felicita Mucci, Systems & Automation, illustrated how AI, combined with graph analysis, is able to dismantle disinformation networks. She mentioned the SPOTLIGHT project and the identification of over 100 pro-AI sites used to interfere with the German elections in 2025.
Walter Quattrociocchi, professor, University of Rome, La Sapienza, explored the role of the psychology of disinformation, emphasizing how confirmation bias and polarization render debunking strategies ineffective. Conspiracy communities resist deplatforming, reorganizing elsewhere.
Cristiano Leggeri, Italian State Police, addressed the risks of cyber crime, from ransomware to advanced persistent threat attacks, and the crucial role of AI in prevention. He emphasized the importance of public-private collaboration for the protection of critical infrastructures.
Dino Mora, Electronics, introduced the concept of strategic convergence between cyber operations and electromagnetic spectrum operations, EMSO, highlighting the effectiveness of CEMA to counter disinformation and ensure information superiority.
Col. Pasquale Mannino, SMD UGID, and C.F. Marco Marchi, DNA III Reparto, addressed the topic of cognitive warfare, illustrating the Italian Defence strategy and national and European research programs to influence behavior and decisions in the cognitive dimension.
Mirko Leanza, Teleconsys, presented the ZEUS platform, designed to ensure compliance with the European AI ACT and the ISO/IEC 42001 standard, facilitating the management of risks related to the use of AI in sensitive areas.
Daniela Borrelli, Leonardo, described the company's strategic approach to ethical and secure AI, supporting cyber threat intelligence, deepfake recognition and open-source intelligence (OSINT)/social media intelligence (SOCMINT) analysis.
Finally, Martha Turnbull, European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats, outlined the threats from foreign information manipulation and interference, highlighting the propaganda strategies of states such as Russia and China.
The conference concluded with an appeal by Tangorra for the urgent adoption of multilevel strategies, predictive tools and ethical governance of technologies to protect democracy, security and cognitive resilience.
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