Francesco Caio e Maurizio Ferraris
Corriere della sera
20 luglio 2026
We are facing an epochal shift, similar to the one that led to the birth of traditional welfare. While wealth was once produced by factory labor, today the true “raw material” of the 21st century is the recording of our lives.
Every action we take—traveling, studying, remembering, or even “wasting time”—generates traces that fuel the power of algorithms. However, while we produce this value, its capitalization often remains in the hands of a few.
In this editorial, Francesco Caio and Maurizio Ferraris explain why the real challenge of the future is not so much regulating artificial intelligence, but rather implementing Webfare: a digital welfare system capable of returning to society the value that AI derives from our daily existence.
But how do we move from theory to practice? The article outlines a roadmap based on four fundamental pillars that redesign the relationship between citizens, the State, and technology:
- Sovereignty and Infrastructure: Why does Europe need a “Public Cloud” for research and health?
- The Role of the State: How can the vast heritage of public data be transformed into a direct advantage for the citizen?
- Intermediaries and Cooperatives: Is it possible to manage our data collectively rather than remaining isolated in the face of big platforms?
- Civil AI: How can algorithms concretely help us navigate our rights and bureaucracy?
Recognizing that our lives have immense social value is the first step toward building a fairer humanity. Discover in detail the four proposals that could change our digital social contract.
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