Inaugural Workshop on Active Inference in Italy: Free-Energy across engineering, complex systems and neurosciences
23 – 24 June 2026 – Scuola Superiore Meridionale (Via Mezzocannone 4, Napoli)
Originating in computational neuroscience, the Free Energy Principle and Active Inference have emerged as a unifying framework spanning artificial intelligence, decision-making, and increasingly, engineering applications. This interdisciplinary workshop provides a forum for researchers and students to explore these ideas from multiple perspectives. It features tutorial sessions designed for those seeking an accessible introduction to the Free Energy Principle and Active Inference, alongside talks that highlight contemporary challenges, emerging research directions, and cross-disciplinary opportunities. In addition to invited presentations and roundtables, the workshop includes a spotlight presentation session to offer students and early-career researchers the opportunity to present and discuss their work.
🎓 We received a record number of Spotlight Presentations! 🌟
Note: registration is free but spots are limited. Make sure to register on time!
Invited Speakers
Rory Bufacchi
EMBL Rome
Francesco Bullo
University of California Santa Barbara
Antonella Maselli
University of Messina
Domenico Maisto
CNR, Inst. Cognitive Sciences & Technologies
Giuseppe Pagnoni
University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
Matteo Torzoni
Politecnico Milano
Pierluigi Sacco
University of Chieti
Day 1
10.00: Institutional Greetings. Arturo De Vivo, Responsabile SSM and Mario di Bernardo (MERC PhD Coordinator)
Workshop Introduction
10.30: Sequential Planning and Spatial Navigation Through Active Inference (G. Pezzulo)
11.00: Normative Models of Ethological Behaviour: from zebrafish, through mice to humans (R. Bufacchi)
11.30: Coffee Break
12.00: An active inference account of intentional and unintentional motor behavior (A. Maselli)
12.30: Collective Cognition Emerging from the Free Energy Principle (D. Maisto)
13.00: Lunch Break
15.00: Neural Circuits and Energy Systems for Predictive Coding (F. Bullo)
15.30: A Control-Theoretical Approach to the Free Energy Principle (G. Russo)
16.00: Coffee Break
16.30: Decision-Making and Learning in Mechanical Systems via Free Energy Minimization (M. Torzoni)
17.00: Spotlight (4 minutes) Presentations
C. Tomaselli ( Scuola Superiore Meridionale ): Towards Decision-Making from Human Feedback Under the Free Energy Principle
F. Rossi ( Scuola Superiore Meridionale ): Policy Composition from Free Energy Minimization
N. Botteghi (Politecnico di Milano): Exploring collective behaviors: active inference vs reinforcement learning
R. Blasco Aguado ( Scuola Superiore Meridionale ): Biologically-grounded neural network for KL control
C. G. Graciani ( Scuola Superiore Meridionale ): Free Energy Minimization with Uncertain Generative Model
F. Mancinelli (Politecnico di Milano): Multi-agent digital twins for strategic decision-making using active inference
R. Maramotti (Univ. Modena & Reggio Emilia): A POMDP formulation of the emotional Stroop task under active inference
S. Ventre (Univ. Rome Tor Vergata): Active Inference of Social Exclusion: Computational Modelling of Cyberball in Borderline Personality Disorder
B. Waldeck (UniMoRe) Expected-Free-Energy minimization via Variational Inference
Day 2
09.30: Collective Intelligence as Distributed Precision Optimization: an active inference approach to metabolically efficient social cognition (P. Sacco)
10.00: Probing Intentional Engagement of Mental Effort With Active Inference (G. Pagnoni)
10.30: Coffee Break
11.00: Fireside chat with Karl Friston [joining remotely]
11.30: Roundtable
Organizers
Giovanni Pezzulo
National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies
Giovanni Russo
University of Salerno & Board Member PhD Program in Modelling & Engineering Risk and Complexity (MERC)
Register Here
Note: Reservations are confirmed by email from the organizers