Francesco Sovrano (born 1991 in Veneto, Italy) is a data scientist specializing in artificial intelligence (AI). His research spans explainable AI (XAI), law, natural language processing (NLP), and human-computer interaction (HCI). He focuses on the theory of explanations and its applications in AI to enhance learning and information acquisition. He is currently trying to decipher how generative AI like ChatGPT produces educational explanations about different concepts by integrating empirical methods and philosophical theories with XAI technology.

Francesco earned his PhD in June 2023 from the University of Bologna, presenting a new computational theory of explanations influenced by Ordinary Language Philosophy and novel explanatory AI technology. His research included case studies on European legal frameworks and education, highlighting the theory’s practical utility in improving learning efficiency for both AI agents and humans.

Francesco was a Senior Researcher (PostDoc) at the University of Zurich in the Zurich Empirical Software Engineering Group (2023-2024), where he continued to advance his research in AI for explaining software.

From September 2024, he has joined the Collegium Helveticum, ETH Zurich, as an early-career fellow.