AI Co-Writes New Molière Play Premiering at Versailles

At Sorbonne University, researchers collaborated with the AI tool Le Chat to create 'L’Astrologue ou les Faux Présages', a three-act comedy inspired by the works of 17th-century playwright Molière. The premiere took place last week at the Royal Opera in the Château de Versailles, showcasing AI-generated dialogue, music, costumes, and set design. This initiative, known as Molière Ex Machina, spanned two and a half years and involved the artist-researcher collective Obvious. Director Mickaël Bouffard mentioned that the initial draft from Le Chat was merely eight pages long and underwent significant revisions through approximately 20,000 interactions. The play explores themes of astrology, manipulation, and disinformation, with an audience of 100, including culture minister Catherine Pégard, attending two performances. Critic Christophe Séfrin described the imitation as 'striking, almost disconcerting' with 'entirely believable' dialogue. There are plans to tour the production throughout France and internationally.