Brunello Cucinelli launches Callimacus, the 'human artificial intelligence' that transforms shopping

Almost thirty years have passed since 3 June 1998, the day the first item was sold in Italy via e-commerce: it was a book by Andrea Camilleri, 'La concessione del telefono', and it was purchased on Ibs.it by a user from Freemont, California. In these three decades, digital shops have evolved to the point of transcending their original dimension, to become places of knowledge and communication, even before purchasing, so much so that very often those who come to the shop to shop do so having first inquired online. Today it is artificial intelligence that marks another evolution for the e-commerce universe, and in a way, almost paradoxically, that has never been so close to people, thanks to an 'invention', as he himself defines it, by Brunello Cucinelli.

It was precisely from Solomeo, the Umbrian village where the company has its headquarters and its heart, founded on the manual labour of artisans, that the Callimacus platform was launched today, developed by the Solomei Ai research centre, created to develop what Cucinelli himself called 'Human Artificial Intelligence', exploring the languages of AI and their possible creative, scientific and technological applications.

Callimacus - named after the Hellenistic poet and philologist who catalogued the volumes of the library of Alexandria, with a reference to the classical books and authors that Cucinelli loves so much - gives shape to a new idea of a website, an evolution of "BrunelloCucinelli.ai" launched just over a year ago, without pages but endowed with an intelligence of its own capable of interpreting what those who visit it are looking for or intend, and capable of suggesting paths of discovery of the products and the brand based on these preferences, not just responding to a mere search command. The digital experience thus becomes a personalised listening experience, just as in a physical boutique.

"Our friends in Silicon Valley are enthusiastic about Callimacus, they called it 'an invention',' says Brunello Cucinelli with satisfaction. It is the fruit of the work of this team of seven boys and girls, mathematicians, philosophers, whom I asked three years ago to try to invent something new. Of course, we do something else for a living, but I am convinced that this platform will allow us to grow, both in turnover and in knowledge. Today, 70% of those who come to physical shops do so after visiting a site. We propose a new environment, one that welcomes you, accompanies you, and makes it pleasant to stay, even more so than the time commonly spent in an e-commerce".

The line of a drawing, the first gesture of connection between idea and realisation, leads on a path that can also be started by asking a question such as "what can I wear for dinner in Los Angeles?". At that point, Callimacus responds with products and suggestions, and the opportunity to learn more about them and interact with them.