A new play, “L’Astrologue ou les Faux Presages” (The Astrologer or the False Omens), written by artificial intelligence in the style of the 17th-century French playwright Moliere, is set to premiere at the Palace of Versailles on May 5, 2026. This project, dubbed the “Moliere Ex Machina,” involved collaboration among French scholars and artists from Obvious collective, alongside the AI firm Mistral AI, to explore what Moliere might have written had he lived longer. The play’s plot revolves around Geronte, a gullible bourgeois deceived by a fraudulent astrologer, reflecting Moliere’s characteristic satirical spirit. Human experts were involved to ensure historical accuracy and maintain stylistic fidelity to Moliere’s work, allowing for a deeper understanding of his craft.

Moliere: Moliere is an iconic 17th-century French playwright celebrated for satirical comedies that critique social norms. His works define French theater and language, remaining staples in education and performances. The recent Moliere Ex Machina project imagines his next play using AI, highlighting his enduring cultural influence.
Mistral AI: Mistral AI is a French startup developing open-source large language models and enterprise AI tools like recent Workflows for business processes. It provides the AI technology backing the Moliere Ex Machina project to generate a play in Moliere’s style. Recent releases include the Medium 3.5 model, showcasing its focus on accessible AI innovation.
Mickael Bouffard: Mickael Bouffard is an art historian serving as director of Theatre Moliere Sorbonne. He directs the AI-generated play L’Astrologue ou les Faux Presages and oversaw scholarly tweaks to the AI output. The project deepened his understanding of scattered themes in Moliere’s original works.
Hugo Caselles-Dupre: Hugo Caselles-Dupre is a researcher focused on AI applications in artistic creation and a member of the Obvious art collective. He contributed to the Moliere Ex Machina project by guiding AI to recreate Moliere’s creative process. Recent discussions emphasize his aim to demystify AI in collaborative art projects.
L’Astrologue ou les Faux Presages: L’Astrologue ou les Faux Presages is a comedy play created by AI to mimic Moliere’s style, satirizing astrologers through a plot of deception and gullibility. Developed via the Moliere Ex Machina initiative, it has been refined by scholars for historical accuracy. The production is set to premiere at the Palace of Versailles.

`json
{
“Premiere Venue”: “The play debuts at the Palace of Versailles, echoing the court of Moliere’s patron Louis XIV.”,
“Scholarly Refinement”: “Human experts corrected AI-generated content for historical accuracy and stylistic fidelity.”,
“Project Collaboration”: “French scholars, artists, and Mistral AI teamed up for the Moliere Ex Machina initiative.”
}
`