Visitors to the Palace of Versailles can now engage in real-time conversations with its iconic garden statues, thanks to a new collaboration with artificial intelligence companies OpenAI and French startup Ask Mona. The initiative replaces traditional audio guides with interactive, multilingual AI experiences designed to deepen engagement with the historic site.

The experience is simple: visitors scan a QR code next to one of around 20 statues throughout the gardens. This launches an AI-powered conversation available in French, English, or Spanish, offering historical insights and stories tied to the statues and the palace’s rich heritage.

Versailles announced the partnership as a step toward modernizing the visitor experience at the world-famous 17th-century landmark, which draws around eight million visitors each year. By merging historical storytelling with cutting-edge technology, the project aims to make cultural heritage more accessible and engaging for a diverse, global audience.

OpenAI and Ask Mona view the collaboration as an opportunity to showcase AI’s broader role beyond productivity and automation. The project emphasizes AI’s potential to spark curiosity and enhance public understanding of art and history in an immersive and personal way.

This initiative marks a new chapter in how historical institutions like Versailles are using artificial intelligence—not just to inform, but to invite conversation and connection.

Impact Lab