In the last few years, with the increasing use of technology, and especially of Artificial Intelligence (AI), new aspects in the exercise of the public actor’s power can be observed. Specifically, as AI technologies begin to play a dominant role in the contemporary exercise of power, it becomes increasingly important to examine the phenomenology of a new kind of power and its unique challenges to constitutional principles.
On this merit, the public actor is making extensive use of technologi...
Il settore dei mercati finanziari, è da decenni un osservatorio privilegiato per indagare quali siano le principali sfide poste dall’evoluzione tecnologica. Si tratta infatti di un ambito in cui da tempo si fa un ampio uso – anche illecito – di sistemi automatizzati per le negoziazioni e in cui negli anni è emerso come l’illecito posto in essere ‘da o tramite’ sistemi algoritmici possa avere una portata offensiva incommensurabilmente maggiore, a causa dei volumi e della interconnessione che c...
This thesis explores the regulation of Facial Recognition Technology (FRT) as a focal
point for analysing the profound challenges posed by Artificial Intelligence (AI) to
constitutional principles and fundamental rights in the digital age. By positioning FRT at
the intersection of technological innovation and legal frameworks, the study examines
how the adoption of this technology, particularly in law enforcement and public
surveillance, amplifies risks to privacy, data protection, freedom of...
In this thesis we focus on understanding the impressive ability of neural networks to generalize on unseen data. When and why does this generalization occur, and how can it be predicted? We offer partial answers to these questions by analyzing the loss landscape of neural networks, drawing insights from the study of disordered systems.
The first chapter contains a study that addresses multiple phenomena in machine learning using a complexity measure of the function realized by a neural netw...
This dissertation consists of three essays in microeconomic theory. The first chapter, co-authored with Daria Stepushina, examines equilibrium dynamics in a setting where private information about product quality can be disclosed by the seller and acquired by the buyer. This chapter studies an asymmetric information buyer-seller model with voluntary disclosure, characterizes equilibrium strategies, and analyzes the role of information costs and an (im)perfect authentication technology. The se...
Entrepreneurship requires addressing diverse external pressures as startups pursue growth. This dissertation studies three critical challenges faced by entrepreneurs: the impact of large incumbents, the difficulties in securing funding for ventures with dual missions, and the complexities of managing intellectual property (IP) in collaborative open-source communities. The first study investigates how large incumbents’ mergers and acquisitions (M&As), and corporate venture capital investments ...
This thesis lies at the intersection of knowledge, organizational dynamics, and labor mobility, with a particular focus on the factors that shape knowledge creation and diffusion, as well as the influence of knowledge on entrepreneurial and innovative performance.
Chapter One (the job market paper) explores the effects of involuntary employee mobility on knowledge productivity. The findings show that when inventors move involuntarily from a source firm to a destination firm, their post-mobil...
This dissertation explores the diverse effects of external shocks and interventions on corporate behavior, financial markets, and urban environments, offering new insights into firm strategies, governance dynamics, and urban policy outcomes. Through three empirical essays, it addresses key questions at the intersection of finance, corporate governance, and urban economics, utilizing robust data-driven approaches.
Chapter 1 focuses on the role of hedge fund activism in transforming corporate ...
The thesis is composed by three chapters.
The first chapter, "Time Series Reversal: a payment cycle friction", introduces a novel aggregate reversal strategy that exploits monthly calendar effects. Specifically, I show that the end-of-the-month return of the S&P500 negatively correlates with one-month
ahead returns. Contrary to the cross-sectional findings, strategies based on the novel aggregate pattern are extremely cost-effective, easy to implement, cyclical, and do not require short-sell...
This dissertation explores how automation, technological change, and economic transformations shape political dynamics in post-industrial societies. It examines how shifts in material conditions influence both the demand and supply sides of politics, with evidence drawn from Western Europe and the United States. The first essay addresses methodological issues in studying the determinants of the globalization backlash, highlighting the bias introduced by post-treatment variables in regressions...