Almaviva: with Ultra, the challenge of bespoke AI for businesses and the public sector

Does artificial intelligence really need to be massive to be useful? This question cuts across the race to develop ever-larger models and extends right into the day-to-day operations of businesses and public administration departments. What matters is meeting a specific need, protecting data and understanding who is responsible for decisions.

Almaviva is seeking to take on this challenge with Ultra, the group’s new system that brings together its technologies, expertise and AI solutions, presented in Rome at the “Valore IA” conference, with the Under-Secretary for Innovation, Alessio Butti, who spoke following the opening address by the CEO of Almaviva Group, Marco Tripi. The panellists included: Valeria Vittimberga (INPS); Cristiano Cannarsa (Sogei); Paolo Cotti Cometti (Cineca); Domenico Scida (FS Group); Mario Nobile (AGID); Gianluigi Greco (Rector of the University of Calabria and Chair of the National AI Committee); Maurizio Trapanese (AIFA); Eugenio Di Sciascio (Regional Councillor for Puglia) and Andrea Urbani (Lazio Region).

The idea is that of bespoke artificial intelligence: lightweight, manageable and secure models, built around the problem to be solved. After all, a social security body or a medicines regulatory agency needs technology capable of operating within its specific field, in accordance with precise rules. The cases presented – although they did not quantify savings or productivity gains – concerned the INPS, with the Welfare Language Model, and the AIFA.

“The value of artificial intelligence,” says Marco Tripi, “is measured by the problems it solves and the results it makes possible. This is what Almaviva is committed to. Ultra is the framework that embodies our 360-degree vision of AI. Today, businesses and the public sector are keen to translate this impact into measurable value.”

The group comprises over 40,000 people, more than 65 companies and pro forma revenues in excess of 1.8 billion in 2025. This international scale provides the ideal testing ground for its offering. Ultra brings together proprietary assets – from the Velvet models to the Giotto and AIWave platforms – market technologies and international partnerships. The scope ranges from healthcare to finance, from transport to water management. These are sectors in which a mistake can have far more serious consequences than a wrong answer in a chat. This is why the project focuses on data governance, traceability, confidentiality and integration with existing systems.