The YOU&AI Project was at the core of a three-years collaboration between the Italian National Museum of Science and Technology Leonardo da Vinci (MNST) in Milan and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (JRC). Its aim was to bring the topic of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to the attention of citizens, and to stimulate a dialogue on possible applications, impacts, potential risks and ethical issues. Hosted in the Museum, the project was co-designed by the two Institutions, with the aim of describing AI not only in technological terms but also giving emphasis on ethical and social aspects, stimulating dialogue and active participation. This was obtained through a combination of immersive technologies (Digital Zone) and discussion workshops. The project has achieved its objective to inform citizens and actively involve them in reflection and discussion on AI. Museum visitors were generally very curious about AI and were interested in learning more. They showed strong acceptance of the potential benefits of using AI in a wide range of applications, conditioned by a demand to Public authorities to urgently provide a robust regulatory framework regarding privacy and ethics. Visitors ideally would like to see global cooperation for AI regulation and certainly want to see cooperation at least across Member States at European level.
