The Palace of Versailles wants you to talk to statues through OpenAI's tech. But the statues don't seem that interested in chatting.
The informative chatbot was dry and lacked effective conversational skills.
But it's a better solution than fact sheets or audioguides.
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.
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- Eater
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Hypebeast
an hour ago
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_J.L-A.L_ and HOKA Reunite on the Trails
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Los Angeles Times
an hour ago
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Air show cleared for takeoff for next 5 years — with 21 strings attached
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In case you haven't visited it yet, Great Park Gallery in Irvine since late May has been marking the 45th anniversary of the release of the PAC-MAN game with a special exhibit called 'Journey Through the Maze: 45 Years of PAC-MAN,' featuring artwork and memorabilia from Bandai Namco as well as more than 50 professional artists from all over the world The celebration continues through Sept. 28. • John Wayne Movie Week will be held at the recently restored Lido Theater in Newport Beach Aug. 26 through Aug. 29. Hours are 7 to 10 p.m. each date. On Aug. 26, 'The Searchers' will be screened, followed by 'The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance' on Aug. 27, 'True Grit' on Aug. 28 and 'Big Jake' on Aug. 29. The John Wayne Cancer Foundation will be the beneficiary of a special fundraising event held in conjunction with the week. The Lido Theater is located at 3459 Via Lido. Tickets can be purchased at Until next week,Carol We appreciate your help in making this the best newsletter it can be. Please send news tips, your memory of life in O.C. (photos welcome!) or comments to
