Drawing on Leonardo’s Legacy to Foster Human-Centered AI

Antonio Grasso
14 min readJun 13, 2024

Every time I have looked at Leonardo da Vinci’s studies on the Vitruvian Man, I have been fascinated by the message that humanity must be central to all our choices and strategies, both personally and professionally.

The Vitruvian Man is a famous drawing created by Leonardo around 1490, showcasing his deep understanding of art, science, and anatomy. The drawing is named after the Roman architect Vitruvius, who described the ideal proportions of the human body in his treatise “De Architectura.” Vitruvius believed that the human body, with its symmetry and proportions, was a model of perfection and harmony that should be reflected in architecture.

Leonardo interpreted and illustrated these proportions in his drawing, demonstrating how the human body could be fitted into both a circle and a square, symbolizing the unity of the physical and the divine, and the link between the microcosm of the human being and the macrocosm of the universe.

Now, with the evolution of digital technologies, Artificial Intelligence is permeating our lives, and it’s even more crucial to ensure that humans remain at the center of its adoption as this magnificent technology promises to change our lives.

Leonardo da Vinci placed human beings at the center of his drawing, symbolizing the harmony between art, science, and human values, and we, too, must aim to place people at the core of technological development. Just as Leonardo’s Vitruvian Man embodies the unity of…

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Antonio Grasso

Author, technologist, sustainability advocate | FRSA | B2B digital creator & influencer | Founder & CEO @dbi.srl