From AI to Art: Bocconi Voices Shaping the Future

For Bocconi’s community, Homecoming 2025 was not just a return to campus, it was a return to purpose. This incredible gathering brought together Alumni, students, and friends from around the world to share ideas that transcend disciplines, borders, and generations. Among the highlights of the day were two conversations led by distinguished Bocconi alumni and donors based in the US, Diego Piacentini and Carlo Bronzini Vender, both exploring how human creativity continues to shape the future, from business to art. The sessions drew full audiences, a testament to the community’s enthusiasm for dialogue that bridges innovation and culture. 

The morning opened with the Future Talk “AI and Business: Is There Still Room for the Human?”, featuring Diego Piacentini, Investor, Advisor, Former Executive at Apple and Amazon; Bocconi Alumnus of the Year 2010, in conversation with Gianmario Verona, Fondazione Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi Professor of Innovation Management at Bocconi University and Chairman of Fondazione Human Technopole. 
In a world where artificial intelligence is redefining the pace and scope of change, the two discussed how leaders can govern technology without losing sight of the human dimension. From mindset and education as defenses against skill obsolescence to creativity as the ultimate competitive advantage, the session underscored a clear message: data may guide decisions, but it is human vision that gives them meaning. 

Later that morning, the discussion turned from algorithms to aesthetics with the Masterclass in Art Market and Finance, featuring Andrea Rurale, Director of the Master in Arts Management and Administration (MAMA) at SDA Bocconi, and Carlo Bronzini Vender, Partner and Co-Founder of CapM Advisors. Their dialogue examined how collectors, galleries, and international fairs influence the art ecosystem, and how the question “Is art an asset?” opens broader reflections on value, culture, and risk. In a world where finance and creativity increasingly intersect, the conversation revealed how art remains both a passion and a mirror of global economic dynamics, an asset not only of financial worth, but of meaning and emotion. 

Two different worlds, business and art, technology and culture, united by a shared theme: the enduring power of human insight. Both sessions reminded the audience that learning without limits means embracing complexity, curiosity, and the courage to keep the human at the center of innovation. 

Throughout the day, other inspiring American voices further enriched the conversation: Francesca Coloni, Chief Operating Officer at Citi, in dialogue with Professor Leonardo Caporarello, Associate Dean for Online Learning and Professor of Practice of Leadership and Negotiation at SDA Bocconi, on how to negotiate successfully; Elena Pirondini, Chief, Executive Board Branch, United Nations Population Fund, as part of the Change by Women: Voices on Diversity, Inclusion & Sustainability panel; Alessandro Rollo, Founder & CEO Rollo Capital and Bocconi Alumni Community Board Member, and Silvia Console Battilana, CEO Auctionomics, featured in the Bocconi Voices podcast. 

Together, these contributions reflected the vitality and diversity of Bocconi’s global network: a community that continues to learn, lead, and connect through the power of human creativity.