Sorbonne Scholars Debut 3-Act AI-Co-Written Molière Play After 20,000 Exchanges
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 11
Sorbonne Scholars Debut 3-Act AI-Co-Written Molière Play After 20,000 Exchanges
4 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 11
L’Astrologue ou les Faux Présages, a two-hour three-act comedy co-written with French AI tool Le Chat, premiered last week at the Royal Opera in Versailles.
20,000 exchanges over 2½ years shaped the script as Sorbonne scholars, linguists, historians and artists repeatedly rewrote AI drafts; director Mickaël Bouffard said the first version was only eight weak pages.
Le Chat suggested the astrology theme and title, which researchers said let them tackle manipulation, false beliefs and disinformation while staying close to Molière’s 17th-century world.
100 audience members, including Culture Minister Catherine Pégard, saw two performances; reactions ranged from praise for believable dialogue to criticism that the result felt like pastiche or unnecessary AI mimicry.
The project lands in France’s wider debate over generative AI in culture, and Théâtre Molière Sorbonne and Obvious now plan to tour the play across France and abroad.
This AI-written play cost one million euros. Is this the future of art or an expensive technological gimmick?
If an AI can imitate a 17th-century master, is human creativity now just a dataset for machines to copy?
AI Writes Molière: Inside the Premiere of the World’s First Fully AI-Generated Play and Its Artistic, Ethical, and Cultural Implications
Overview
On May 5, 2026, 'The Astrologer, or False Omens' premiered at the Royal Opera of Versailles, making history as the first theatrical play entirely written by artificial intelligence. The AI not only crafted the script but also designed costumes, music, and stage elements, drawing inspiration from historical sketches by Henri de Gissey. Critics were impressed by the AI's remarkable fidelity to Molière's style, with some calling its imitation 'striking, almost disconcerting' and the dialogue 'entirely believable.' This groundbreaking event showcased AI's ability to authentically recreate and innovate within classical artistic traditions.