Empowering young people with AI tools
Re-generazioni AI is a training and active experimentation program that involved twenty young people under the age of 30 from the provinces of Belluno, Verona, Vicenza, and Mantua to find solutions to current problems relating to the environment, community, and young people.
The aim is to put young people at the center of territorial planning, transforming artificial intelligence from an abstract concept into a practical tool for generating concrete solutions that make local communities more inclusive, sustainable, and attractive to the younger generation.
How did we do it? The importance of methodology
In less than three months, the students managed to create three distinct but complementary working prototypes. By enhancing the design thinking methodology with vibe coding techniques, vibe coding offered by the potential of artificial intelligence, the participants transformed AI into a listening and connection infrastructure.
The course was enriched with masterclasses by experts on the topics of urban regeneration and AI, as well as study visits to local organizations that have demonstrated their ability to listen to and understand the needs of the local community through their offerings: Dolomiti Hub, Insieme Cooperativa Sociale, and Verona Agrifood Innovation Hub.
The three prototypes — Orizzonte, ReGeneration Map and How to Bando — were presented during the final event before an interdisciplinary committee composed of Annibale d'Elia, Eleonora Righetto, Emanuel Ingrao and Eleonora Di Maria, who tested the students' ideas to assess their impact and scalability.
Orizzonte is a digital hub connecting young people and local decision-makers.
ReGeneration Map is an AI infrastructure that maps and generates high-impact territorial connections.
How to Bando is a platform equipped with an intelligent search bar and a conversational chatbot that breaks down barriers to accessing funding.
Programming change: AI for the common good
Tackling technological innovation today through collective experimentation means choosing to "program rather than be programmed." In a context where AI is often viewed with suspicion, the project demonstrates how technology can become a lever for the common good if guided by shared responsibility and expertise. This approach is essential for businesses and institutions that want to remain relevant, as it allows complex needs to be translated into functional applications, increasing the quality of local projects and the effectiveness of collaboration networks.
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Notes
Fondazione Cariverona is a philanthropic organization that promotes the social, cultural and economic development of the territories of Verona, Vicenza, Belluno, Ancona and Mantua. With a future-oriented vision, the Foundation is committed to supporting initiatives that can generate a positive and lasting impact for the community.
Re-generations AI was created in response to one of the needs highlighted by the Futuro Qui! research project: the need for young people to participate in activities and strategic decisions implemented in their local areas.
