The Foundation

Our mission,
our purpose

Artificial intelligence is reshaping society at a pace that outstrips the frameworks meant to govern it. The Foundation exists to close that gap, promoting the study and responsible development of AI, fostering dialogue between international players, and building the scientific, legal, and institutional foundations that this moment demands.

The Foundation operates at national and international level, connecting academia, governments, industry, and civil society around the ethical and governance challenges that will define our collective future.

Hello Osmo

Our Flagship Events

Three years of shaping AI governance

The Rome Conference

‍At the heart of the Foundation’s work is the Rome Conference on AI, Ethics, and Governance, an annual international event that has brought together heads of state, technology CEOs, legal scholars, and policymakers since its first edition in 2024.

The 2026 edition, now in its third year, takes place June 18-20 across three venues in Rome and the Vatican: Palazzo Altemps, the Ministry of Enterprises at Palazzo Piacentini, and the Pontifical Academy of Sciences at the Casina Pio IV in the Vatican Gardens.

Speakers have included senior executives from IBM, Salesforce, Google, Anthropic, OpenAI, and Cohere, alongside Italian government ministers, Stanford and Yale law professors, and Vatican officials.

The AIRSA

‍The Foundation also organizes the European AI Rising Stars Awards (AIRSA), a recognition program for emerging researchers, entrepreneurs, and practitioners working at the frontier of AI, ethics, and governance.

The award ceremony is held each year as part of the Rome Conference, with a multidisciplinary panel of judges drawn from leading institutions, venture capital firms, and technology companies including NEA, Wilson Sonsini, Google, Sofinnova Partners, and Avvio Capital.

Research and Partnerships

Supporting research, academia, and policy worldwide

Beyond its flagship events, the Foundation supports the broader academic and policy ecosystem through scholarships, seminars, training programs, and publishing initiatives.

It builds strategic alliances with universities and research institutions across more than 15 countries, partnering with leading law schools, public bodies, and private organizations to advance shared frameworks for the governance of AI.

The Foundation engages directly with legislative and policy processes at national and international level, including through partnerships with the Holy See, Italian government institutions, and leading American law schools such as Stanford, Yale, and Boston University.

Our Values

Transparency, ethics, and inclusion in everything we do

The Foundation operates according to principles of transparency, ethics, and inclusion.

It is committed to fighting discrimination in all its forms, on grounds of nationality, race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or social background, and to upholding internationally recognized human rights standards in all its activities.

It promotes gender equality across its governance, partnerships, and programs, and operates in accordance with internationally recognized standards against corruption and fraud.

Everything the Foundation does is guided by the conviction that the development of artificial intelligence must serve the common good.

Event

Third Annual Conference 

on AI, Ethics, and Governance

Three days in Rome bringing together policymakers, industry leaders, legal experts, academics, and civil society to discuss the governance, impact, and responsible development of AI.

From 18 to 20

June, 2026

Rome

Italy