AI Ally: fighting gender-based violence with Artificial Intelligence

On September 24, 2025, H-FARM College, together with Fondazione Libellula and Donna Moderna, launched the challenge “AI Ally: Stop Gender Violence”, an innovative project aimed at turning artificial intelligence into a concrete tool for preventing gender-based violence. The initiative stems from alarming data and news that have become all too common. For instance, according to Fondazione Libellula’s Teen Survey 2024, 1 in 3 teenagers does not recognize acts like kisses or physical contact without consent as violence, while 1 in 4 interprets jealousy as a sign of love.

The goal of the challenge, open to H-FARM College students, is to build an AI Agent capable of providing timely and concrete responses to young people, recognizing the emotional depth that current chatbots fail to grasp. AI Ally aims to become a digital ally able to speak the language of teens, delivering content with empathy and clarity rather than judgment, helping them reflect on abusive behaviors even when they seem “normal,” and debunking stereotypes that confuse love with possession. The project seeks to create a safe space for asking difficult questions, offering guidance tools and concrete resources such as support contacts and helplines.

Interested students can apply to participate in a workshop. During the day, after a training session and project introduction, participants will work in groups to develop their ideas and present them to a jury, which will select the winning team. The best project will then be developed under the supervision of the partners and H-FARM AI, culminating in a prototype presentation at H-FARM College’s Career Day (November 13–14, 2025).

The project is part of Donna Moderna’s “Libere e Uguali” initiative, a comprehensive program dedicated to eradicating the culture of violence through training, awareness, and education.