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New Straits Times
11-07-2025
- New Straits Times
Versailles unveils AI-powered talking statues
AFP VISITORS to France's famed Palace of Versailles can now strike up a conversation with talking statues instead of listening to a traditional audio guide, as part of a new collaboration with artificial intelligence (AI) companies, the palace has said. Versailles recently announced a partnership with United States-based OpenAI and French start-up Ask Mona to bring a modern AI touch to the iconic 17th-century palace. Curious visitors can delve into Versailles' rich history by scanning a QR code next to one of some 20 garden statues — triggering interactive conversations in French, English or Spanish. "The Palace of Versailles is now testing artificial intelligence, whose tremendous capabilities will greatly enrich the visitor experience," said the museum's president, Christophe Leribault. The heritage site welcomes some eight million visitors annually, with OpenAI and Ask Mona saying it is a golden opportunity to showcase their technology in a world-famous location. "Whether you're a heritage expert, a museum curator or a visitor setting foot in the gardens of the Palace of Versailles for the first time, there's something for everyone," said Julie Lavet, OpenAI's head of European partnerships. And Ask Mona's president said this partnership is a chance to highlight AI's lesser explored applications. "Often, when we think of artificial intelligence, we think of it in terms of productivity, but here, it's really artificial intelligence that is a lever for curiosity," said Marion Carre.
Japan Today
25-06-2025
- Japan Today
Versailles unveils AI-powered talking statues
Visitors to France's famed Palace of Versailles can now strike up a conversation with talking statues instead of listening to a traditional audio guide, as part of a new collaboration with artificial intelligence companies, the palace has said. Versailles late Monday announced a partnership with U.S.-based OpenAI and French start-up Ask Mona to bring a modern AI touch to the iconic 17th-century palace. Curious visitors can delve into Versailles' rich history by scanning a QR code next to one of some 20 garden statues -- triggering interactive conversations in French, English, or Spanish. "The Palace of Versailles is now testing artificial intelligence, whose tremendous capabilities will greatly enrich the visitor experience," said the museum's president, Christophe Leribault. The heritage site welcomes some eight million visitors annually, with OpenAI and Ask Mona saying it was a golden opportunity to showcase their technology in a world-famous location. "Whether you're a heritage expert, a museum curator, or a visitor setting foot in the gardens of the Palace of Versailles for the first time, there's something for everyone," said Julie Lavet, OpenAI's head of European partnerships. And Ask Mona's president said this partnership is a chance to highlight AI's lesser explored applications. "Often, when we think of artificial intelligence, we think of it in terms of productivity, but here, it's really artificial intelligence that is a lever for curiosity," said Marion Carre. © 2025 AFP
Local France
25-06-2025
- Local France
France's Versailles unveils AI-powered talking statues
Versailles has announced a partnership with US-based OpenAI and French start-up Ask Mona to bring a 21st-century AI touch to the iconic 17th-century palace. Curious visitors can delve into Versailles' rich history by scanning a QR code next to one of some 20 garden statues – triggering interactive conversations in French, English, or Spanish. 'The Palace of Versailles is now testing artificial intelligence, whose tremendous capabilities will greatly enrich the visitor experience,' said the museum's president, Christophe Leribault. OpenAI and Ask Mona said it was a 'golden opportunity' to showcase their technology in a world-famous location that welcomes some eight million visitors annually. 'Whether you're a heritage expert, a museum curator, or a visitor setting foot in the gardens of the Palace of Versailles for the first time, there's something for everyone,' said Julie Lavet, OpenAI's head of European partnerships. Advertisement And Ask Mona's president said this partnership is a chance to highlight AI's lesser explored applications. 'Often, when we think of artificial intelligence, we think of it in terms of productivity, but here, it's really artificial intelligence that is a lever for curiosity,' said Marion Carre.
Business Insider
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
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 Palace of Versailles launched a new partnership with OpenAI to get its statues to speak. 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.
The Star
25-06-2025
- The Star
France's Versailles unveils AI-powered talking statues
Versailles late Monday announced a partnership with US-based OpenAI and French start-up Ask Mona to bring a modern AI touch to the iconic 17th-century palace. — AP Photo/Christophe Ena VERSAILLES: Visitors to France's famed Palace of Versailles can now strike up a conversation with talking statues instead of listening to a traditional audio guide, as part of a new collaboration with artificial intelligence companies, the palace has said. Versailles late Monday announced a partnership with US-based OpenAI and French start-up Ask Mona to bring a modern AI touch to the iconic 17th-century palace. Curious visitors can delve into Versailles' rich history by scanning a QR code next to one of some 20 garden statues -- triggering interactive conversations in French, English, or Spanish. "The Palace of Versailles is now testing artificial intelligence, whose tremendous capabilities will greatly enrich the visitor experience," said the museum's president, Christophe Leribault. The heritage site welcomes some eight million visitors annually, with OpenAI and Ask Mona saying it was a golden opportunity to showcase their technology in a world-famous location. "Whether you're a heritage expert, a museum curator, or a visitor setting foot in the gardens of the Palace of Versailles for the first time, there's something for everyone," said Julie Lavet, OpenAI's head of European partnerships. And Ask Mona's president said this partnership is a chance to highlight AI's lesser explored applications. "Often, when we think of artificial intelligence, we think of it in terms of productivity, but here, it's really artificial intelligence that is a lever for curiosity," said Marion Carre. – AFP
