You can now talk to ornate, centuries-old statues in the gardens of the Palace of Versailles, but be warned — they only want to talk about themselves.
The palace, which functions as a museum, announced a partnership with OpenAI and a Paris-based AI company, Ask Mona, to create chatbots that allow online and in-person visitors to have conversations with the 12 statues in its gardens.
Scanning QR codes located near the sculptures — or online — starts an audio conversation with a chatbot.
The garden statues “will reveal their secrets to you,” the palace said in a Tuesday Instagram post.
I tested the new tool all the way from Singapore, striking up conversations with the Apollo Fountain and Neptune’s Fountain.
Informative but lacking personality
I first tried speaking with the Apollo Fountain, a 15th-century golden fountain by French sculptor Jean-Baptiste Tuby. The chatbot immediately launched into an elaborate description of the work.
“The fountain symbolizes the dawn, the moment when light spreads over the world. It’s a reflection of power and renewal, much like the reign of the Sun King, Louis XIV, who saw himself in my image,” the chatbot told me in a deep, somber male voice.
After a few basic questions about who created the sculpture and when it was last restored, I threw some curveballs.
“Can you tell me a joke?” I asked it.
“As much as I enjoy bringing light to the world, I must stay true to my role here. I’m a symbol of power, grace, and eternal renewal,” it responded. “But I can certainly brighten your day with stories of art, history, and myth.”
It then asked me if I would like to hear more about the symbolism of the fountain. I did not.
When I asked what the sculpture was thinking, it responded, “As Apollo, I am always focused on my eternal task: guiding the sun across the sky.”
I tried my luck with the 15th-century Neptune’s Fountain. I asked when it was made and what material it was made of, and received substantial answers. The voice was the same male voice from the earlier sculpture.
When I asked what details first-time visitors should look out for, the chatbot suddenly went silent, not capturing my voice. It took a couple of website refreshes to get it to answer my question.
I also tried to ask general questions about Paris.
“I hold dominion over the fountains of Versailles, not the city beyond. Let your admiration rest upon the sculptures and waters that tell the tales of gods and legends here,” it responded dryly.
While Versailles’ new AI tool is informative and a useful guide for palace visitors not keen on reading artwork labels, the chatbot lacked humor and was a bit buggy.
The conversations also felt one-sided — the chatbots rarely asked me anything back. In comparison, OpenAI’s ChatGPT frequently asks follow-up questions or suggests alternative prompts.
To its credit, it is certainly a step up from traditional audioguides, providing instant answers to visitors.
Instead of skimming through an overcrowded fact sheet or sitting through a pre-recorded audio guide, it felt more like walking with a tour guide and having my burning questions answered on the spot.
The bot would be a useful addition at other museums, especially for tourists with short attention spans and long itineraries.
Representatives for the palace and OpenAI did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.
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