FASANO – A virtual Virgil, regenerated through artificial intelligence, recalls his journey to Egnazia in 37 BC and welcomes as a digital influencer the greats of the Earth arriving from 13 to 15 June in Borgo Egnazia for the G7, in the name of a tradition of hospitality that has its roots in the ancient world. This is the innovative content presented today by Carraro Lab, a company specialized in the development of platforms and technologies in the most advanced sectors of digital media, during the event “Hosting G7, tourism and artificial intelligence”, organized by the Municipality of Fasano and ITS Turismo Puglia.
VIRGILIO WILL ACT AS CICERO TO THE WORLD LEADERS: THE VIDEO
The event, which was attended among others by: Francesco Zaccaria, mayor of Fasano, Gualtiero Carraro, managing director of Carraro Lab, Pier Francesco Palmariggi, councilor for Tourism of the Municipality of Fasano, Giuseppa Antonaci, president of the Its Turismo Puglia Foundation and Edoardo Colombo, president of Turismi.ai, Association for Artificial Intelligence in Tourism, represented the opportunity to take stock of the new contaminations between artificial intelligence and tourism.
Carraro Lab reconstructed the face of the poet Virgil in 3D, based on one of the sculptures indicated by the scholars’ hypotheses, recalling his journey as an Ante Litteram tourist in ancient Egnatia along the Appian Way. In particular, through the methodology of re-generative art applied to paintings and mosaics of ancient art and to today’s images, the roots of an imagination that has been at the basis of Italian beauty, landscape and lifestyle for millennia are recovered. Virgilio thus becomes an AIInfluencer of Fasano and of Italy itself, creating an application case history of artificial intelligence for tourism promotion.
“With the reconstruction of a digital Virgil and ancient artistic imagery, we want to underline how virtuous the synergy between Artificial Intelligence, culture and tourism can be, especially with regards to the narrative of the identity of our territory abroad,” he commented Gualtiero Carraro, CEO of Carraro Lab. “The poet Virgilio, by welcoming the leaders of the G7 to the lands of Fasano, becomes an exceptional testimonial, the guide par excellence of all times. As in the Renaissance, the regenerative application of AI taps into universal visual memory creating new and profound connections between the past and the present: a journey to the origins of beauty. In Carraro Lab, in addition to Virgilio, we have also recreated Boccaccio and developed innovative solutions for the training of new professions in tourism, where it is necessary to adopt Artificial Intelligence with methodologies that allow maintaining cognitive and ethical control”.
“This is a real revolution underway which will have an impact of historic importance and which is already changing our modus operandi in various areas, including that of hospitality – declares the Mayor, Francesco Zaccaria – Talking here in Fasano about Artificial Intelligence from the aspect that most concerns us, in a city with a great tourist vocation, and doing so close to the most important and awaited event, that of the G7, only brings our objectives into line strategic with the contemporaneity that we must be ready to face, with knowledge and promptness, to fully grasp all its potential.”
“Integrating the Artificial Intelligence component in the tourism development path of a territory, as long as it is contained in a prudent and responsible strategy, represents an exciting frontier – explains the Tourism Councilor Pier Francesco Palmariggi – We wanted to anticipate the debate on a topic that will be central during the G7 to be held in Fasano in June, and we did so to extend the discussion to the community as well, especially to the operators of the tourism industry in this area. The most advanced technologies will improve the traveler experience but clear management models and guidelines are needed. Fasano takes a step forward on this because the next training courses that the Its Turismo della Puglia Foundation will launch here will also be dedicated to the relationship between Artificial Intelligence and Tourism.”
The regeneration of Virgilio is part of a broader process already started in the Apulian territory which involves Carraro Lab, the Municipality of Fasano and ITS Turismo Puglia: from next year, the first training courses dedicated to Artificial Intelligence for the tourism sector. Students and teachers will practice innovative forms of storytelling capable of describing “Extended Destinations”, which integrate digital with the real experience of travel.
“Artificial intelligence is the theme at the center of the G7, a challenge that involves governments, companies and the educational community: it will be, in a transversal manner, the subject of training in all the highly specialized courses of ITS Turismo Puglia”. He adds Giuseppa Antonaci, President of ITS Turismo Puglia. “Our Foundation is in fact designing a range of technological laboratories, which integrate AI technology to prepare students for the professions of the future. We have already developed laboratory activities, precisely in the Fasano courses, with a view to developing ideas for welcoming the G7 event on a tourism level and this “Hosting G7″ seminar moment represents a stage in the training path, as well as a moment of scientific reflection towards all citizens on the topics being discussed by the world’s greats in the month of June in the Lands of Fasano. Underlining that the presence of Pope Francis at the G7 emphasizes the ethical component that must characterize a valuable education for young people will be the focus of our event: it is essential that schools and in general all our young people are at the forefront in the transformation of AI from risk to resource under the cultural and cognitive control of the person”.
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