Stefano Cozzini, Director of the Institute of Research for Technological Innovation, will participate with a talk on the impact of Artificial Intelligence on energy consumption and on the environment.
How much energy does Artificial Intelligence really consume? And what are the hidden costs behind the technologies that are transforming the way we produce knowledge and innovation? These are some of the core topics of the conference “AI Isn’t Free: The Hidden Costs Behind Innovation” by Stefano Cozzini, Director of the Institute of Research for Technological Innovation at Area Science Park, a guest at the 16th edition of the Sofia Science Festival, scheduled from May 14 to 17, 2026. The conference, organized as part of the 9th Italian Research Day in the World, takes place on May 16 and focuses on analyzing the energy and environmental impact of Artificial Intelligence technologies.
The extraordinary capabilities of AI are made possible by the availability of vast computational resources, supported by High Performance Computing (HPC) infrastructures such as those at Area Science Park, whose operation requires large amounts of energy. Cozzini’s talk explores the computational demands of the main AI algorithms, the infrastructures needed to support them, and their impact in terms of energy consumption, with the aim of promoting greater awareness of the real costs of digital innovation.
The Sofia Science Festival, organized by the Beautiful Science Foundation and established in 2011 by the British Council and the Democritus Forum, is one of the leading science communication events in Southeastern Europe. The program includes conferences, debates, and interactive activities for students and the general public, with the participation of researchers from academic institutions and international research centers.
For more information: Sofia Science Festival.