The University of Genoa gave to Stephen Barrese, responsible for Intesa Sanpaolo's Territorial Bank Division, the honorary degree in Computer EngineeringThe award was presented during a ceremony that brought together representatives of the University and the academic world and focused on the relationship between technological innovation, artificial intelligence, and the human dimension.
The ceremony opened with institutional greetings from the Rector Federico Delfino, of the Dean of the Polytechnic School Patrizia Perego and the Director of the Department of Computer Science, Bioengineering, Robotics and Systems Engineering (Dibris), Sergio Martinoia. The laudation by Stefano Barrese was pronounced by Davide Anguita, Professor of Information Processing Systems.
At the centre of the meeting the Barrese's master lecture, entitled "Technology in Banking and Its Relationship with People: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow." The presentation addressed the evolving relationship between technology and people in the banking sector, focusing on the role of digital innovation and artificial intelligence and the need to maintain the human component at the heart of professional processes and customer relationships.
The relationship between technology and the human dimension
One of the passages of the keynote concerned the role that innovation can play in society and territories: “Technology must not erode the human dimension, but enhance it by creating shared prosperity for the benefit of communities and social, industrial, and cultural territories.”
Barrese then recalled the evolution of the relationship between banks and customers In the era of digitalization, he emphasized how the growing availability of digital tools continues to be accompanied by the importance of trust and relationships: "Digitalization has radically changed the way customers interact with banks. But the value perceived by customers—the reason they remain loyal to one institution over another—is still largely determined by the quality of human relationships. By trust. By the sense of being understood in their life plans, which involve financial needs, and not just served."
The parallelism between banking and computer engineering also emerged in the conclusions dedicated to the design and development ofuse of“How can I help you?” That's the question a good banker asks his client. That's the question a good engineer asks when designing a system. That's the question we must continue to ask, every day, as technology grows around us.
Barrese: "Technology and artificial intelligence must expand our capabilities."
In receiving the award, Barrese thanked the University and recalled the importance of the relationship between universities, businesses and innovation, linking it to transformations ongoing in the field of technology and dell'artificial intelligenceI would like to thank the Rector, the faculty, and the entire academic community for this prestigious recognition, which I accept with emotion and with a commitment to continue promoting an ever closer dialogue between universities, business, and innovation. In an era marked by extraordinary technological transformations, I am convinced that the most important challenge is not only to develop increasingly advanced tools, but to make them available to everyone in a sustainable and inclusive way. Technology and artificial intelligence must expand our capabilities, but a sense of individual responsibility, personal critical thinking, and the ability to understand the needs that only the intervention of a qualified person can provide in a relationship remain essential.
