Switzerland’s most visited historical monument, Chillon Castle, has implemented an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbot to improve the visitor experience. Developed by start-up Ask Mona, this service provides personalised answers to tourists’ many questions, 24 hours a day and in several languages. After several months of use, the initial findings are positive, even if humans must remain at the centre of the visitor experience and the costs of such a tool are not insignificant.
Chillon Castle, which welcomes 400,000 visitors in 2024, more than three-quarters of whom come from abroad, launched this project after the Covid-19 pandemic. ‘We lost a third of our staff as a result of the health crisis,’ explains Marta Dos Santos, director of the Chillon Castle Foundation. ‘We were looking for a solution to offer visitors a way to prepare for their visit with peace of mind, while relieving our information teams.’
The chatbot, named ‘Bonne de Bourbon’ in reference to a historical figure linked to the castle, was designed with several specific objectives in mind:
- To be accessible on mobile devices
- To operate in three languages
- To provide a 24-hour information service
- To explain the heritage and historical context of the site
‘Our chatbot is based on three essential building blocks: an existing language model, optimised so that the data only concerns the château; a no-code customer back office that allows the château team to add content to the database; and an intuitive user interface that is fully integrated into the website,’ explains Alix Debussche of Ask Mona.
Mostly positive feedback
Since its launch, the chatbot has enjoyed growing success. ‘In 2022, with the non-AI version, we had 10,000 users. In 2024, that figure jumped to 17,600 people,’ notes Marta Dos Santos. ‘It is used 75% of the time on mobile devices, which confirms our initial intuition.’
According to the château’s director, there are many benefits:
- Considerable time savings in creating questions and answers
- A reduction in manually processed queries
- The ability to respond in all languages, including Chinese, which represents 13% of the audience
- Personalised responses with relevant redirects on the website
- A speed of execution that visitors appreciate
‘On the other hand, the launch of the chatbot has not led to savings in reception staff. This technology allows us to provide answers about value-added services such as guided tours. This is a significant benefit for the team.’
One particularly interesting aspect is human interaction with the avatar. ‘We noticed that nearly a quarter of users engaged in small talk with Bonne de Bourbon, sometimes asking amusing questions such as “why was the château built next to the motorway?”’ smiles Marta Dos Santos.
Identified limitations
Despite these positives, the château’s director identifies several challenges and limitations associated with the chatbot. The main ones are sustainability and cost. ‘These tools quickly become obsolete, at a significant cost. As it stands, this chatbot will not last 5 to 10 years. A budget must be set aside each year to keep it up to date.’ In addition, AI can sometimes misinterpret queries and give responses that lack nuance. For staff who are unfamiliar with digital technology, this can be a hindrance. A certain technological dependency is also created with this type of tool. The director also noted that ChatGPT’s answers about the castle were sometimes more comprehensive than those given directly on the chatbot. ‘We realise that generic AI tools are quickly becoming very powerful.’
Humans remain essential
For Marta Dos Santos, the conclusion is clear. ‘An intelligent chatbot cannot replace humans in cultural sites, particularly in reception. It should be seen as a work tool that needs to be framed.’ She also emphasises the importance of a tailor-made approach. ‘These tools must be designed specifically for cultural venues. It doesn’t work when it’s too general.’
Ultimately, this experiment demonstrates that artificial intelligence can bring real added value to cultural institutions, provided it is implemented with precision and remains a complement to, rather than a replacement for, human expertise.
Comments collected on 13 May 2025 in Monthey during the PRISM Conference
