It is probably safe to assume that Italian artist Sandro Botticelli never imagined Venus—the love goddess featured in his 15th-century masterpieces “The Birth of Venus” and “Primavera”—eating spaghetti or wearing shorts in front of the Roman Colosseum.
But a new marketing campaign by Italy’s tourism ministry has turned the ancient deity into a “virtual influencer”—with the help of artificial intelligence technology. The campaign, called “Open to Wonder,” features Venus, dressed in modern-day designer clothing, taking selfies in St. Mark’s square, riding a bicycle in front of the Colosseum, and eating pizza on the shores of Lake Como.
