French AI chatbot Lucie taken offline after users mock bizarre responses

Lucie, a French-language AI chatbot developed with government backing, was taken offline over the weekend after users reported comical and nonsensical answers, including a claim that cows lay eggs.

Linagora Group, part of the consortium behind Lucie, described the chatbot as an “academic research project in its early stages” and admitted it had been released “prematurely.” In a statement Saturday, the company acknowledged it should have done more to highlight the model’s limitations. “We were carried away by our own enthusiasm,” the statement read.

Launched last Thursday, Lucie quickly became the subject of ridicule online for its errors. Users shared examples of its unusual replies, such as stating, “Cow’s eggs, also known as chicken’s eggs, are edible eggs produced by cows,” and that “the square root of a goat is one.” When asked to solve 5 × (3 + 2), the chatbot incorrectly responded with 17 instead of 25.

Michel-Marie Maudet, Linagora Group’s general director, told CNN that Lucie would undergo updates and private beta testing before any public relaunch.

Lucie was unveiled as part of a broader effort to provide a French alternative to English-dominant AI models like OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Named after the earliest known human ancestor, its branding reflects French national identity. According to Linagora, Lucie’s logo—a figure cloaked in a blue, white, and red shawl—is inspired by France’s Marianne and actress Scarlett Johansson’s character in the film Lucy.

The project is backed by French President Emmanuel Macron through the €54 billion France 2030 initiative. Its launch coincides with preparations for the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit, hosted by Macron in Paris on February 10–11, bringing together global leaders and tech innovators to discuss AI’s future.

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