'When did we cease to understand the world?': AI in medicine and mental health opens the second year of OSC QUAD GEMS

On Tuesday, 17 March 2026, from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm, the Teatro Centro Sociale OSC in Mendrisio will host the event "When did we cease to understand the world? Artificial intelligence in medicine and mental health", promoted by the Cantonal Socio-Psychiatric Organisation (OSC) as part of OSC QUAD GEMS 2026.

The conference marks the start of the second year of the QUAD GEMS - Quadrant Guided Education in Mental Sciences cycle (see attached posters), the OSC's new interdisciplinary training programme, developed in collaboration with Università della Svizzera italiana and cantonal academic and clinical partners.

QUAD GEMS integrates four complementary training axes: fundamental sciences, emerging issues, clinical psychopathology and epistemology of care. The goal is to build a unified conceptual framework to address contemporary transformations in mental health across the entire lifespan. The 2026 edition opens with Quadrant G - Grounding Sciences, dedicated to the scientific and technological foundations of clinical practice.

Artificial intelligence: between technological transformation and the redefinition of care

Drawing inspiration from Benjamin Labatut's book "When We Cease to Understand the World", the event invites us to reflect on a historical phase in which scientific and technological progress is becoming so rapid and counterintuitive that it challenges our interpretive categories.

Today, artificial intelligence not only influences production, education, or geopolitics; it increasingly impacts medicine and mental health-from predictive modelling and digital biomarker analysis to the personalisation of therapeutic interventions. The morning's objective is to move beyond the polarisation of apocalyptic visions and uncritical enthusiasm, offering a space for scientific and clinical reflection that refocuses on the contemporary meaning of "care".

A dialogue between clinical practice, technology and research

The proceedings will begin at 9:00 am and will be moderated by Vittorio Limongelli, Full Professor of Pharmacology and Director of the Euler Institute at Università della Svizzera italiana.

This will be followed by presentations by:

Andrea Raballo, Full Professor of Psychiatry at USI and Head of Academic Training and Research at OSC, with a reflection on "Clinical intelligence and artificial intelligence: scenarios in medicine and mental health";

Lorenzo Ruinelli, Data Scientist and Head of Innovation and Research ICT at Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, on the transformative scenarios of AI in hospitals;

Francesca Faraci, Senior Lecturer and Researcher at SUPSI, on the role of biomedical signals and the ability of AI to intercept dimensions that are still invisible to traditional observation.

Following the break, the REMEDI Lab - REthinking MEntal health through Clinical and Data Intelligence will be presented. This interdisciplinary laboratory, based at USI's Euler Institute, will share initial data and research perspectives gained from real-world clinical contexts.

A training platform for the future of mental health

The event is the first appointment of OSC QUAD GEMS 2026 and marks the start of the second year of a training platform aimed at consolidating OSC as a cantonal hub for dialogue among clinical practice, research, and innovation in mental health.

Scientific Leads:

Andrea Raballo (USI/OSC) and Giovanna Ciano (Head of Nursing Training at OSC), in collaboration with the OSC Training Committee.

There is a participation fee (CHF 60; CHF 30 for students; free for OSC employees), with compulsory registration by 12 March 2026 via the online form at https://www.ti.ch/osc-formazione. Venue: Teatro Centro Sociale OSC, Via Agostino Maspoli 6, Mendrisio. Attached are PDFs containing the programme and calendar of OSC QUAD GEMS 2026 training events.