Artificial intelligence is moving beyond its role as a simple automation tool to become an “operational and creative partner” integrated into business processes. This is the vision outlined by Pierfrancesco Errico, Sales Manager of Cogit AI, an innovative Italian startup aiming to redefine human-machine interaction. According to Errico, efficiency is just the starting point: the true potential of AI lies in enhancing human capabilities.
Key Takeaways
- The Vision: Pierfrancesco Errico (Sales Manager at Cogit AI) describes the evolution of AI from an efficiency tool to an “operational and creative partner.”
- The Technology: Cogit AI’s proprietary “Agentica” platform creates visual agents and avatars equipped with “agentic functions,” meaning they can take concrete actions and integrate into workflows.
- The Goal: To overcome cultural barriers to adoption by democratizing access to AI, transforming business processes and enhancing human creativity rather than replacing it.
The Evolution of AI: “Not Automation, but a New Form of Expression”
FOr Cogit AI, an innovative startup with offices in Reggio Emilia, Milan, and Rome, artificial intelligence is not just a matter of efficiency. As Pierfrancesco Errico explains, the insight of founder Eugenio Azzinnari was to see AI as a powerful and novel form of expression and public interaction.
The “Zia Sofia” Case and the Birth of the “Agentica” Platform
The “ground zero” for this realization was the 2023 launch of “Zia Sofia” Italy’s first virtual chef. The project’s success demonstrated that the public was ready to interact with digital entities in a new way.
Building on this experience, Cogit AI developed its proprietary platform, Agentica. This technology doesn’t just create chatbots or conversational avatars; it develops interactive visual agents equipped with “agentic functions.” In simple terms, these agents don’t just talk, they act: they can integrate into business processes, perform tasks, and actively support teams.
L’Evoluzione dell’IA: Da Strumento di Efficienza a Partner Strategico. La Visione di Cogit AI
Beyond Efficiency: AI as a Competitive Advantage to Empower Humans
When asked about the strategic advantage beyond simple automation, Errico is clear: “Efficiency is just the starting point.” The real value, he argues, emerges when AI is deeply integrated into the company culture and processes.
Cogit AI’s approach is not to “replace” people, but to “empower” them. By automating repetitive, low-value tasks, artificial intelligence frees up mental space and resources for creativity, critical judgment, and strategic decisions. “In many cases,” Errico states in the interview this analysis is based on, “the result is not just increased productivity, but a transformation in how teams communicate and make decisions.” It is at this stage that AI ceases to be a commodity and becomes a strategic AI partner and a real competitive advantage.
LThe Biggest Challenge Isn’t Technical, It’s Cultural
The greatest obstacle to adopting these technologies, Errico admits, is not technical, but cultural. Companies, especially in Italy, still harbor a mix of fear and excitement, often without a full awareness of the real potential.
Cogit AI’s role, therefore, is not just that of a technology provider, but of a partner that “accompanies” clients through the transition. This process starts with listening and analyzing business bottlenecks to identify where AI can generate tangible and immediate value.
The 10-Year Vision: Democratizing AI for SMEs
This cultural challenge is closely linked to the need to “democratize access” to the technology. To prevent advanced AI from becoming a luxury reserved for large corporations, widening the digital divide, Cogit AI is working to make its Cogit AI Agentica platform accessible.
The goal is to offer scalable, “plug-and-play” solutions that can also be adopted by SMEs and individual professionals. Looking ahead, Errico envisions a world where AI is no longer perceived as “technology,” but as a “natural presence in daily life.” In ten years, he predicts, we will be interacting with a true personal and professional “partner.” Cogit AI’s mission, he concludes, is to be “the bridge to this future,” contributing to a digital transformation that is “concrete, solid, and has a positive impact.”
