Versailles Statues Chat with Visitors, Powered by AI

The historic Palace of Versailles is embracing the digital age with a new artificial intelligence-powered feature integrated into its official app. Developed in collaboration with OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, an innovative audio tool now allows visitors, both on-site and remotely, to converse with 20 outdoor statues located throughout the palace gardens in three languages.

During a recent trial, the AI chatbot was put to the test. When asked basic questions about its origins and symbolism, a 17th-century gilded lead statue of Apollo on his chariot responded with textbook answers delivered in a clear, confident voice. A more unconventional query — what if a pigeon were to relieve itself on the masterpiece? — elicited a surprisingly detailed response: “When pigeons show their affection on my chariot, it’s hardly a grand moment. But the caretakers of Versailles are vigilant… So no lasting harm from those little birds!”

Versailles attracts 8.4 million visitors annually, making it France’s second most visited heritage site after the Louvre Museum. With 80 percent of these visitors being international tourists and an average age of 40, the palace’s engagement with OpenAI and other major tech firms aims not only to enhance the visitor experience but also to attract younger and more diverse audiences, including domestic visitors. (It is worth noting that OpenAI is currently facing a copyright infringement lawsuit from The New York Times, which alleges unauthorized use of its published works for AI training; OpenAI denies these claims.)

Navigating the gardens with the app, users can interact with various sculptures. In one instance, a group of French teenagers gathered around a 17th-century marble-and-bronze statue of Cupid riding a Sphinx. When prompted through the app, the Sphinx offered philosophical responses to their modern-day questions, such as “Will I ever be rich?” (“Ah, becoming rich is an enigma that even my Sphinx is unable to solve! But remember: The source of true riches is, perhaps, love, which subdues all of life’s enigmas.”) and “Which team will win the Champions League?” (“Oh, I must answer with the heart: I have no opinion on soccer players or other subjects outside these gardens. I invite you to admire the timeless beauty that surrounds us.”).

Christophe Leribault, President of the Palace of Versailles, previously head of the Musée d’Orsay, emphasized the AI feature as a reliable educational aid. He stated that the AI experience is “not a gadget, but an informed tool co-designed with our specialist teams which is artistically sound and doesn’t say things that are meaningless.” Leribault highlighted Versailles’ historical openness to innovation, noting its past role as a “vitrine for science and technology,” famously serving as the launchpad for the Montgolfier brothers’ pioneering hot-air balloon flight in 1783.

Paul Chaine, the palace’s director of digital, affirmed Versailles’ commitment to carrying this spirit of innovation into the 21st century. The institution was an early adopter of the Google Arts & Culture platform and maintains an active presence on TikTok and Instagram, even hosting popular YouTubers for engaging content. Chaine stressed the desire “to be present on all digital platforms, and adapt to the public.”

Beyond the conversational AI, the app offers other immersive features, including augmented reality experiences that let users visualize elaborate dances in the gardens or picture themselves in period coifs. Inside the palace, virtual reality headsets transport visitors to long-gone wonders like a royal menagerie, a labyrinth, and a grotto.

The collaboration with OpenAI began earlier this year when the tech giant approached Versailles. Developed with the palace’s in-house digital team, the AI feature rolled out in late June and currently records approximately 1,000 interactions daily from users both on-site and elsewhere. Julie Lavet, who leads OpenAI’s French operations, noted Versailles’ “global reach” and its status as an “internationally emblematic place of history and culture” as key reasons for it being an ideal testing ground for their conversational tool. This is not OpenAI’s first cultural partnership, having previously created a chatbot for the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Despite the ambitious nature and multitude of tech integrations, Leribault believes the “Versailles brand is strong enough to retain its solid positioning.” He concluded, “It may sound arrogant, but the reality is that we are not about to dissolve into the few experimentations that we do.”