AI Festival Unveils the Future: International AI standards and human governance defined in Milan

The 3rd AI Festival closes with 10,000 attendance and 800+ B2B meetings at Bocconi University, setting new global benchmarks for the emerging Agentic Era.

MILAN, MILAN, ITALY, January 29, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Agentic Era, systemic challenges, business integration, and human-centricity: these were the core themes of AI Festival 2026. The event, organized by Search On Media Group and powered by WMF - We Make Future, brought together global leaders, from Big Tech giants like Dell Technologies and Intel (Main Sponsors), Microsoft, and Lenovo, to prestigious research centers and institutions. Supported by the Municipality of Milan and Assintel, and joined by partners such as ESA (European Space Agency), Cineca, ENIA, and YesMilano, the festival serves as the AI-specialized pillar of WMF, operating within the WMF For AI ecosystem to strengthen its role as a global platform for innovation and business.

“The common thread of this edition has emerged clearly: Artificial Intelligence does not act on its own, but follows a direction, and every direction stems from a human choice,” declares Cosmano Lombardo, Founder and CEO of Search On Media Group and creator of AI Festival and WMF. “In the Agentic Era, the challenge is no longer just technological, but systemic: it is fundamental to join forces across research, business, and institutions—not only at the Italian level but within a framework of European cohesion, so that AI is understood and used with awareness for social well-being. As Search On, we continue to work toward this goal together with partners from all over the world through WMF and all its projects, from AI Festival to Saudi Makes Future, which consolidate a global platform aimed at building a better future through innovation.” He concludes: “For this reason, I sincerely thank the sponsors, partners, speakers, exhibitors, and startups who, in this edition as well, have chosen to work as a system, tracing together with us a clear and responsible direction for the international evolution of AI.”

Plenary and Educational Stages: International Excellence and Physical AI
The Plenary opened with a socially and politically significant dialogue between Cosmano Lombardo and activist Pegah Moshir Pour on the digital blackout in Iran, defining AI and connectivity as essential tools for defending freedom and democracy.
Key keynote highlights included Marco Fanizzi (VP Sales & Managing Director, Dell Technologies Italy), who presented the vision of the AI Factory to bridge the European competitive gap. Daniele Pucci (CEO, Generative Bionics) delved into Physical AI, stating: "AI must be the catalyst for the physical evolution of technology. We are working to industrialize intelligent humanoid robots to support the humans of the future." The second day, co-hosted by creator Jakidale, also showcased cutting-edge robotics like the Go2 Air Robot Dog and the G1-U7 humanoid robot by Unitree Robotics.
Further high-level contributions came from Layla Pavone (Municipality of Milan), Nestor Maslej (Human-centered AI, Stanford University), Sasha Luccioni (Hugging Face), and Rika Nakazawa (NTT DATA Inc.). Governance and ethics were addressed by Jae Moon (Yonsei University), Brando Benifei (MEP and co-rapporteur of the AI Act), and Guido Scorza (Tech Law Attorney), who emphasized an ethical AI based on data protection and consent. Additional insights were shared by Alessandra Poggiani (Cineca), journalist Pier Luigi Pisa (La Repubblica), Prof. Oreste Pollicino (Bocconi University), Chiara Cocchiara (ESA), and Gianmario Verona (Human Technopole).

Business development and tools: a strategic marketplace
The Expo Area allowed participants to test tools and interact with robotics. Featuring over 150 exhibitors, including Dell Technologies, Intel, ESA, Vection Technologies, and Data Reply, the area offered vertical integrations for sectors like Aerospace, MarTech, and Predictive Analytics. Through over 40 corporate presentations on the AI Solutions and AI Tool & Business stages, businesses illustrated advanced solutions for industrial AI adoption. The event solidified its role as a B2B accelerator with over 800 business meetings, culminating in the AI Festival Night, which gathered 200 sponsors, speakers, and founders.
Business Accelerator for Scaleups, Startups, and Investors.
The "AI for Future" Startup Competition—officially launched at CES in Las Vegas—saw international projects competing with high-impact social AI applications. Handy Signs claimed the 2026 Jury Award, earning a spot at WMF's international leg in Silicon Valley (San Francisco), while the 2026 Audience Award was presented to Requrv. Special recognitions also went to Audioboost, which received the OVHcloud Award (€10,000 in cloud credits), and again to Handy Signs, recipient of the 28Digital Award. All winners will be showcased at WMF 2026 from June 24th to 26th in Bologna, Italy, where they will join the World Startup Fest. AI Festival also presented a program dedicated to key sectors where AI is already making the greatest impact: from Automation and Fintech to Tourism, Agritech, Legal Tech, and Health Tech. The event thus established itself as a primary promoter of qualified dialogue between startups (including those from the Y Combinator accelerator), promising scaleups like Lexroom, SMEs, investors, and institutions.
Road to WMF 2026: The Next Global Stages The path continues with the Road to WMF 2026, with the next stop in Silicon Valley on March 18th. A special "Flash Offer" is available until January 29th for AI Festival 2027 tickets (returning to Milan) or a bundle including WMF 2026. The community will meet again at BolognaFiere, Italy, from June 24th to 26th, 2026, for WMF - We Make Future and is also invited to Riyadh from December 14th to 16th for Saudi Makes Future, where the global dialogue on innovation will continue.

About WMF - We Make Future
Certified International Trade Fair and Innovation Festival: AI, Tech, and Digital Returning to BolognaFiere on June 24th, 25th, and 26th, 2026, WMF is the global reference fair for innovation, organized by Search On Media Group. As a world-renowned event, it annually gathers the best of artificial intelligence, technology, and digital and social innovation, alongside major international players, startups, scaleups, investors, institutions, universities, and non-profit organizations. With over 73,000 attendees from 90 countries in 2025, 700+ exhibitors, more than 1,000 speakers, and a network of 3,000 startups and investors—managing an investment portfolio of €1.5 trillion and over $72.8 billion in funded operations—WMF stands as the leading international exhibition for the global innovation ecosystem.

Saudi Makes Future – The World’s Gateway to the Future of AI
Saudi Makes Future is the Saudi Arabian edition of WMF – We Make Future, a certified international trade fair and global reference platform for innovation, AI, and technology. Developed through the collaboration between Search On Media Group, WMF – We Make Future, and PNG Saudi, the event will take place from December 14th to 16th, 2026, at the Riyadh International Convention & Exhibition Center. In line with WMF’s vision and thematic architecture, Saudi Makes Future focuses on AI across 14 strategic sectors, exploring its impact on business, industry, society, and institutions. Part of the Saudi Vision 2030 framework, the event serves as an international platform for cooperation and development for companies, startups, and investors looking for new growth opportunities in the Middle East and globally.

Search On Media Group - Humans Leading Innovation
Since 2004, Search On Media Group has been dedicated to spreading digital culture by managing communities, supporting knowledge sharing, and providing strategic and operational consultancy through its Search On Consulting department, specializing in Digital Marketing and Digital Transformation for major corporations. From the group’s expertise, the Business Unit Event Agency—responsible for organizing WMF and other proprietary and client events—and the hybrid.io platform were born, the latter providing customizable and flexible solutions for online, hybrid, and offline events.

AI Festival & WMF - We Make Future
Search On Media Group
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