On September 4th, at Sapienza University of Rome, we celebrated the first five years of AIxGirls. And above all, it was an opportunity to understand how much this project has left its mark.
During the game “The Future of AI: Will I Be There?”, which I proposed, the girls stood up to answer questions about their experiences, aspirations, and expectations. We had fun, but their answers also confirmed a greater awareness of their own abilities and the role they can play in the future of AI.
The same maturity emerged in the discussions with representatives of the sponsoring companies and in the stories of what happened after AIxGirls: academic choices, new interests, increased self-confidence, and possibilities that previously seemed more distant.
Different stories, but with one common thread: AIxGirls didn’t just impart skills. It helped broaden their horizons and make these girls feel like potential protagonists of a future that is not yet written.
Because preparing girls to live in a future transformed by AI isn’t enough. We must create the conditions for them to help imagine, design, and direct it, bringing skills, creativity, critical thinking, and diverse perspectives.
And then there’s the effect I most hope for: that one girl capable of imagining herself as a protagonist can inspire another. May every experience become an example, every example open up a possibility, and that possibility multiply.
This is how a single experience can spark a movement capable of changing the future of AI.
This, for me, is the strength of AIxGirls: allowing more and more girls to think: “I’ll be there in the future of AI. And I’ll be able to help build it.”
Then, at the end of the morning, a beautiful bouquet of flowers arrived.
A completely unexpected gesture, which moved me and which simply encapsulated the meaning of these five years: while we work to ensure that an experience leaves a mark on the girls, they also leave one on us.
Thanks to the girls, the sponsoring companies, and everyone who made this journey possible.
