French scholars blend technology and theatre to imagine a lost play in the playwright’s signature satirical voice
PARIS:
In an ambitious fusion of art and technology, French scholars, researchers and artists have turned to artificial intelligence to recreate what they believe could be a lost play by Moliere, the towering figure of French comedy who died in 1673.
Titled ‘The Astrologer, or False Omens’, the three-act farce is the result of a three-year collaboration between Sorbonne University and Obvious, a Paris-based collective of artists and researchers.
The production is set to premiere at the Royal Opera of Versailles, offering audiences a rare attempt to experience new work in the unmistakable style of the 17th-century playwright.
Often regarded as the father of modern French comedy, Moliere’s cultural stature in France is comparable to that of Shakespeare in the English-speaking world. His influence is so profound that French is frequently referred to as the “language of Moliere”.
The AI-generated script, written in 17th-century French, seeks to capture his distinctive satire and theatrical rhythm. The play centres on a gullible father whose obsession with astrology leads him to force his daughter into marriage with an ageing wigmaker, echoing Moliere’s recurring themes of social folly and misplaced belief.
According to project leaders, maintaining fidelity to the playwright’s creative process was central to the endeavour. “There is no existing protocol for creating a play in the style of Moliere, so we had to devise one in the most rigorous and faithful way possible,” said Pierre-Marie Chauvin, vice president at the Sorbonne. He added that the ultimate test would be simple: whether the play makes audiences laugh.
The initiative, named ‘Moliere Ex Machina’, has been described by the university as an attempt to “bring to life a world that never was, but could have been”, acknowledging that such a venture borders on the audacious.
Funded with a budget of €1 million, supported by North American donors and French patrons, the project is being billed as the first theatrical play written using artificial intelligence.
Researchers employed ‘Le Chat’, a generative AI tool developed by French start-up Mistral, training it extensively on Moliere’s works, philosophical texts and period dialogues. The generated material underwent rigorous human review through workshops, reading committees and multiple revisions to ensure coherence, authenticity and linguistic accuracy.
Beyond the script, AI also contributed to costumes, music and stage design, drawing inspiration from historical sources such as sketches by Henri de Gissey, a designer for the court of Louis XIV.
The production features nine actors, supported by dancers and musicians, with sets and costumes crafted using traditional techniques. Despite the technological backbone, the creators insist the human element remains central.
While AI offered speed and vast memory, Chauvin emphasised that structure, refinement and performance relied on “very human skills”. As debates around artificial intelligence intensify across creative industries, the project positions itself as both experiment and homage—testing whether machines can echo genius, even as humans shape its final voice.
