Naples, Capital of Artificial Intelligence

Naples is preparing to become the world capital of Artificial Intelligence for a week. From Monday, September 7th to Friday, September 11th, the Neapolitan capital will host ECML PKDD 2026, one of the most prestigious international conferences dedicated to Machine Learning, AI, and Data Science.

The event is organized by the University of Naples Federico II, through DIETI, the Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies, under the coordination of Professor Elio Masciari, general chair of the 2026 edition.

The Naples edition will set an all-time record: with approximately 1.500 participants expected, it will be the most crowded in the conference's history, surpassing all previous editions and consolidating ECML PKDD's role as a leading global scientific event.

The official opening is scheduled for Monday, September 7th at 6:30 pm in the Sala Europa of the Mostra d'Oltremare, with a speech by the Rector of Federico II, Andrea Mazzucchi. The actual work will begin on Tuesday, September 8th at 9:00 am in Building 1 of the Federico II headquarters on Via Claudio, where the DIETI is located.

The keynote speakers are particularly impressive: five internationally renowned voices—Francesca Rossi, Gianni Riotta, Mihaela van der Schaar, Stefanie Jegelka, and Sihem Amer-Yahia—will offer diverse and complementary perspectives on the major themes of Artificial Intelligence, ranging from the relationship between technology and society to the new frontiers of Machine Learning, all the way to concrete applications in scientific, industrial, and social contexts.

The program includes scientific sessions, workshops, tutorials, competitions, and opportunities for discussion between universities and businesses. The presence of major international industrial players is significant, demonstrating how AI has become a strategic factor not only for research, but also for competitiveness, services, and societal transformation.

But ECML PKDD won't just be an event for industry insiders. Many of the results presented concern technologies already in use in everyday life: systems capable of improving medical diagnosis and treatment, tools for making transportation and cities more efficient, cybersecurity applications, techniques for reducing energy consumption, decision support models for businesses and public administrations, and even new tools for managing large amounts of information.

The goal of the Naples edition is to strengthen the dialogue between scientific research, technological innovation, and society, focusing on crucial issues such as reliable and explainable Artificial Intelligence, the sustainability of AI systems, industrial applications, Big Data management, and the impact of new technologies on citizens' lives.