Ciauru Wins the Second Edition of the Reply AI Music Contest, the International Competition Dedicated to Experimentation Across AI, Music and Live Performance

TURIN, Italy--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 6, 2026--

The second edition of the Reply AI Music Contest, the international competition created by Reply to explore new forms of expression combining artificial intelligence, music and live performance, concluded with the announcement of the winner on the Nova Stage powered by Reply during Kappa FuturFestival.

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First place went to Ciauru, the stage name of Simone Privitera, an Italian multi-platinum DJ and producer who integrates artificial intelligence tools into a musical practice rooted in the contemporary electronic scene. With a career that has seen him collaborate with leading artists from the Italian and international music scenes – including Gaia, Fedez, Gianni Morandi, Steve Aoki, Don Diablo and Benny Benassi – his project combines music production, AI-generated visuals and diverse cultural influences, transforming the live set into a multisensory experience.

“ I am extremely happy that Reply has organised this contest. Kappa FuturFestival has been around for many years and is a key reference point for those who love and produce electronic music. I hope that more and more emerging artists decide to take part, because creating connections with platforms like this through initiatives of this kind is not only possible, but also extremely effective,” commented Ciauru.

In the project presented at the Reply AI Music Contest, “ RAW BOTANICAL DATA ”, the artist uses AI as an organic transformer. Through KREA.AI, SEEDANCE and HIGGSFIELD, simple source footage is transformed into impossible movements, recursive spatial structures and unstable textures. AI expands minimal source material into immersive environments, synchronised in real time with the live electronic music performance.

“ Artificial intelligence is not necessarily a danger or an obstacle. In this case, I used it creatively: everything started from the hand of a human being, who guided 90% of the work. AI was very useful in speeding up a process that would otherwise have taken me much longer,” explained the DJ, who for the first time had the opportunity to experiment with audio and visuals simultaneously.

The 2026 edition of the Reply AI Music Contest, dedicated to the theme “ Imaginatio Nova ”, invited artists and performers from around the world to explore how the encounter between human imagination and artificial intelligence can give rise to new forms of creativity. The contest attracted strong participation, with more than 1,400 applications from 45 countries and over 300 performances submitted, confirming the growing interest in new forms of AI-enabled artistic experimentation.

The five finalists – Ciauru, Violeta Valcheva, POLARIS, Yichu Li and PARAFRAME & Avis Vox – performed live on the Nova Stage at Kappa FuturFestival, bringing different approaches to the integration of artificial intelligence into musical performance. Following the performances, the international jury – composed of Agoria, Max Cooper, Fleur Shore, Tini Gessler, Ali Demirel, Albi Scotti, Filippo Rizzante, Oliver Bohl and Sarah Grimaldi – named Ciauru as the winner. “ Innovation is important, but for it to become progress, artists need to embrace it. I would like to congratulate all the finalists and thank them for embracing artificial intelligence and technology,” commented Agoria.

Alongside the main prize, the Reply AI Studios Grand Prix was also awarded: a special recognition for the most innovative use of artificial intelligence and technical excellence in the creative process. The award went to German duo PARAFRAME & Avis Vox, who explored new modes of interaction between artist and machine, creating immersive three-dimensional environments – including spatial structures, particles, atmospheric effects and dynamic lighting – that evolve in real time with the music.

The AI Music Contest is part of the Reply Challenges programme, a series of technology and creative competitions that reflects Reply’s commitment to developing innovative learning models capable of engaging new generations. Today, the Reply Challenges community counts more than 250,000 participants worldwide.

Reply
Reply [EXM, STAR: REY, ISIN: IT0005282865] specialises in the design and implementation of solutions based on new communication channels and digital media. As a network of highly specialised companies, Reply supports major industrial groups in the telecom and media; industry and services; banking and insurance and public sectors in defining and developing business models enabled by the new paradigms of AI, cloud computing, digital media and the internet of things. Reply's services include: consulting, system integration and digital services. www.reply.com

The second edition of the Reply AI Music Contest, the international competition created by Reply to explore new forms of expression combining artificial intelligence, music and live performance, concluded with the announcement of the winner on the Nova Stage powered by Reply during Kappa FuturFestival

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron arrived Monday in Syria, making him the first major western leader to visit the war-torn country since the ouster of Bashar al-Assad in 2024.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited in April but Macron is the first leader from western Europe or North America to do so.

The French president’s visit comes during a period of relative calm in the Middle East after the monthlong war in Iran and Lebanon. He will travel next to Ankara, Turkey, for the NATO summit, where Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa is also expected to attend and hold a high-profile meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Syria’s state-run SANA news agency said Macron would visit with a business delegation to discuss regional security as well as business and investment opportunities.

The French president was greeted at Damascus airport by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani.

“I have come to express France’s commitment to the Syrian people. For a sovereign Syria, united in its diversity and at peace with its neighbors,” Macron said in a post on X. “Together, let us open a new chapter of stability and peace.”

France supports all those who can “contribute to build a new Syria” in line with the aspirations expressed since the 2011 Arab Spring, Macron’s office said, referring to a period of widespread uprisings across the Middle East that called for political change and reform.

Macron will meet with al-Sharaa at the presidential palace and “engage directly with diverse Syrian people,” his office said.

The French president's meetings are scheduled throughout Tuesday, beginning with members of Syrian civil society, his office said, though no details were disclosed. Macron will then meet with al-Sharaa, before holding economic talks and signing memorandums of understanding. The two leaders will hold a joint news conference afterward.

Macron hosted al-Sharaa in Paris in May 2025, where he urged European and U.S. leaders to lift longstanding sanctions on Damascus. Most of those sanctions had since been lifted.

Paris supported Syria's new leadership even at a time where others were skeptical of al-Sharaa’s Islamist-led rule and former role as the head of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham militant group, previously linked to al-Qaida.

Western governments were especially concerned about the treatment and inclusion of women and minorities, and whether Syria's new government would transition into a more democratic rule.

Syria has managed to sidestep the region's recent conflicts, but the country is still battered from 13 years of war that left much of it in ruins, drove millions into poverty, and will cost hundreds of billions of dollars to rebuild. While Syria has signed memorandums of understanding with states and large companies for large investment projects, they have not yet come to fruition.

Chehayeb reported from Beirut. Associated Press journalist Sylvie Corbet in Paris contributed to this report.

The convoy of French President Emmanuel Macron enters Damascus after arriving in Syria, becoming the first major Western leader to visit the country since Bashar Assad's ouster in 2024, in Damascus, Syria, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)

The convoy of French President Emmanuel Macron enters Damascus after arriving in Syria, becoming the first major Western leader to visit the country since Bashar Assad's ouster in 2024, in Damascus, Syria, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)

FILE - French President Emmanuel Macron, left, talks with the Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa during the EU Summit in Nicosia, Cyprus, April 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias, File)