University of Pavia Launches CERNAI, a New Artificial Intelligence Research Center Directed by Federico Faroldi

PAVIA, Italy – September 26, 2025 – The University of Pavia today announced the establishment of the Center for Reasoning, Normativity and AI (CERNAI), hosted at its Department of Law. The new center, led by Professor Federico Faroldi, is positioned as a cutting-edge hub for the interdisciplinary study of reasoning processes and their applications in artificial intelligence.

The creation of CERNAI is supported by a prestigious grant of over €1.2 million from the Ministry of University and Research through the Italian Fund for Science (FIS). The grant was awarded to Professor Faroldi for his innovative research project, “Generic Reasoning.” The project’s goal is to develop advanced theoretical models of this type of reasoning and then implement them in artificial intelligence systems, thereby improving their flexibility and effectiveness.

“Artificial intelligence is transforming our society in profound and unpredictable ways,” said Professor Faroldi. “With CERNAI, we aim to create a vibrant and collaborative research environment where logic, ethics, computer science, and legal and social sciences meet to address the fundamental challenges posed by AI. The generous funding for the ‘Generic Reasoning’ project will allow us to recruit a team of talented researchers and contribute significantly to the international scientific debate, including on the topic of AI regulation, positioning the University of Pavia and its Department of Law as a benchmark in this strategic field.”

The research center will actively promote collaboration across different disciplines, with the goal of developing more robust, transparent, and human-aligned artificial intelligence. CERNAI’s activities will include research projects, seminars, workshops, contributions to the European regulatory debate, and the publication of scientific articles, fostering the development of a new generation of AI scholars and professionals.