SENNA

Sicilian Entrepreneur Brings Chinese Tech Insights Home to Palermo

Palermo, Italy - After working at the company that birthed TikTok in Shanghai, 24-year-old Andrea Tomasello is returning to his native Sicily with ambitions to replicate China's startup success in his hometown.

Tomasello's international experience stands in contrast to the often insular nature of Italy's tech ecosystem. But he believes Palermo can learn from China's rapid digitization and embrace of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence.

"In Shanghai, I saw firsthand how a new social media app like Musical.ly, the precursor to TikTok, could quickly capture a global audience," Tomasello said. "The energy and pace of innovation there is incredible."

After high school in Palermo, Tomasello opted not to attend university and instead joined his brother, who had launched a startup in China. Tomasello then landed a role at Musical.ly, which ByteDance later acquired and transformed into the wildly popular TikTok.

Now, Tomasello is taking those learnings back home. He has founded Discerns AI, which uses generative AI to create digital twins or clones of physical objects and people.

"Working in AI, you have to be optimistic about the technology's potential," he explained. "The more you understand it, the better you can control and harness it."

Tomasello acknowledges concerns about an AI bubble, with fears of runaway algorithms and job displacement. But he believes, like the dot-com bust, the hype will eventually give way to practical applications that improve productivity and efficiency.

"I don't know if the future will be utopian or dystopian. It depends how people choose to use these powerful tools," he said. "It's similar to how nuclear energy can be both beneficial and dangerous."

Tomasello's goal is to position Palermo as a hub for AI innovation, much like Shanghai has emerged as a global center for social media and internet platforms. He hopes to attract top technical talent to Sicily and collaborate with the region's universities.

"Palermo has so much potential, but it needs to be more proactive in supporting startups and new technologies," Tomasello said. "I want to show that you can build world-class AI companies right here."