On July 3, at the San Giobbe Economics Campus of Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, the SUNRISE project was officially presented. The initiative aims to integrate artificial intelligence into the Artistic Manufacturing sector. This is not merely a technological innovation, but a true cultural journey—one that seeks to enhance the identity of craftsmanship through advanced digital tools.
A Virtual Assistant with a Craft Soul
Through the SUNRISE project, a virtual assistant powered by artificial intelligence will be developed to support artisans throughout the creative and decision-making process—without ever replacing them. This assistant will be fed with texts, images, stories, and stylistic codes provided directly by the companies involved, generating suggestions and design proposals aligned with each company’s identity.
The development approach for this assistant is not based on passive automation, but on augmentation—the AI doesn’t create products on its own but takes an active role in the creative and design process. The goal is to create synergy between craft intelligence and technological intelligence, where the company’s culture guides the machine.
Identity as a Foundation
The SUNRISE project is grounded in a theoretical model that views the enterprise as a cultural entity with its own identity and story to tell. At the heart of this approach is the “value tetrahedron”, a conceptual model that guides the project and helps illuminate how companies build their identity, communicate who they are, and envision their future.
By analyzing identity and applying Jungian theory on psychological types, the project explores how entrepreneurs, artisans, and designers perceive and evaluate the world. Dominant cognitive functions—such as intuition, sensation, thinking, and feeling—are interpreted as keys to understanding the deeper vocabulary of each company.
This process ultimately leads to the creation of a personalized lexicon, one that reflects the values, contrasts, and visions unique to each production reality.
A Two-Phase Process: Analysis and Customization
The project unfolds in two main phases.
The first phase is dedicated to sector analysis: interviews are conducted, materials are collected, and the shared traits that define Artistic Manufacturing are studied. This stage also involves developing a shared language that can express the values and characteristic forms of the sector.
The second phase focuses on customization. Here, the developed model is tailored to individual companies. This allows for the creation of custom virtual assistants, designed to support businesses in developing new products by proposing solutions aligned with their unique cultural and stylistic identity.
Semantic, Not Just Technological Innovation
SUNRISE doesn’t just explore new functions or technologies applied to products—it also focuses on the creation of new meanings. Innovation here is linguistic, aesthetic, and symbolic. Using a specially developed matrix, each product is analyzed according to its cognitive, symbolic, technological, intrinsic, and cultural value.
In this way, artificial intelligence becomes a tool capable of interpreting the complexity of an artistic product, offering a vision of its value that is not only practical but also cultural and expressive.
A Vision Beyond Profit
SUNRISE—along with the broader vision promoted by Euteknos—views the artisan enterprise not only as a source of income, but as a custodian of beauty, meaning, and cultural heritage. During the kick-off event, speakers emphasized the importance of protecting the quality of thought and the intentionality of the creative gesture.
If AI is destined to play a central role in future processes, then it is essential to educate it to recognize and respect the value of art, culture, and form. Only then can it become an ally—rather than a threat—to Artistic Manufacturing.
SUNRISE as a Model for the Future
Under the guidance of the Euteknos Regional Innovation Network, SUNRISE positions itself as a project that combines scientific rigor, cultural sensitivity, and technological ambition. It is a journey that draws from Italy’s rich manufacturing tradition to imagine a future where artificial intelligence does not replace human, but supports and empowers them.
While digital tools have made creativity accessible to many, SUNRISE reminds us of the importance of deep, rooted, and critical knowledge—a kind of knowledge that turns a company not just into a productive space, but into a cultural, creative, and symbolic environment.
SUNRISE also ensures the confidentiality of participating companies. The shared data will not be used by public systems such as ChatGPT, guaranteeing the highest level of protection for intellectual property.
