Synthetic Media for Social Good: Unlocking Positive Potential

Angelo Tumminelli is Researcher in Moral Philosophy at the Department of Human Sciences of LUMSA University in Rome, where he teaches Anthropology and Ethics of Relationships and Ethics of Communication. He is also a visiting lecturer in Philosophy of Religion and History of Contemporary Philosophy at the “San Pietro” Theological Institute in Viterbo. Tumminelli earned his Ph.D. in Moral Philosophy from the Department of Philosophy at Sapienza University of Rome, where he conducted research on the concept of love in the thought of Max Scheler (winner of the 2018 SIFM Award). He has undertaken research stays in Germany and Israel and obtained a Licentiate in Jewish Studies and Jewish-Christian Relations from the Pontifical Gregorian University.

Rome, Italy. E-mail: a.tumminelli@lumsa.it

Lucy Conover is a researcher at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, where she engages in interdisciplinary studies of synthetic media, democracy, and AI ethics. She is co-editor of the SOLARIS project monograph and co-author of the introductory chapter. Her research connects political theory, digital media, and questions of democratic resilience in the age of generative AI. She contributes to understanding the structural threats deepfake technologies pose to democratic institutions.

Utrecht, the Netherlands. E-mail: l.a.conover@uu.nl

Calogero Caltagirone is full professor of Moral philosophy at Lumsa University and he researches in the field of moral philosophy and applied ethics. He studied philosophy and theology at the Antonianum University of Rome and at the Theological Faculty of Sicily, obtaining the related doctorates in philosophy and theology. He has carried out research activities in Italy and abroad, participating in academic projects on social justice, responsibility, and philosophical anthropology. He is the author of essays and articles published in scholarly journals and collaborates with university institutions to promote interdisciplinary dialogue between philosophy, the human sciences, and theology. His research focuses on public ethics and the philosophy of the person.

Rome, Italy. E-mail: c.caltagirone@lumsa.it

Giuditta Bassano is Associate Professor of Semiotics at LUMSA University in Rome. She holds a PhD in Cultural Semiotics from the Semiotics School of Umberto Eco at the University of Bologna, under the auspices of the Scuola Normale Superiore of Pisa. Her main research areas include Cultural and Legal Semiotics, the semiotic analysis of norms, and the intersections between semiotics, phenomenology, and anthropology. She has been a visiting scholar at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) in Paris and has conducted research in both Italy and France. She is the author of two monographs, Verso. Strutture semiotiche della destinazione (2023) and La balestra di Pierre. Diritto, significazione, cultura (2022), and of numerous essays on issues such as veridiction, decorum, digital images, and the semiotics of law.

Rome, Italy. E-mail: g.bassano@lumsa.it

Gjon Rakipi is a researcher and project manager at the Albanian Institute for International Studies (AIIS). His work focuses on the intersection of artificial intelligence, disinformation, and democratic governance, with a particular interest in how emerging technologies shape public trust and civic engagement. Within the EU-funded SOLARIS project, he contributes to research and stakeholder engagement activities addressing AI-driven disinformation and democratic resilience in Europe and the Balkans. Gjon holds degrees in molecular and cellular biology from LMU Munich and combines a scientific background with a growing focus on policy research, innovation, and digital transformation.

Tirana, Albania. E-mail: gjonrakipi@aiis-albania.org

Tommaso Tonello is a History and Philosophy of Science (MRes) student at Utrecht University and a Comparative International Relations (MA) student at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice. Previously, he obtained a Master in Fine Arts (A. Pedrollo Conservatoire) and a Master in Economic Policy (Utrecht University). He is interested in AI education and training, soft law instruments in the context of AI regulation, and AI ethics and epistemology.

Utrecht, the Netherlands. E-mail: t.tonello@uu.nl