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Ask the Mahatma about Partition and he will tell you he was completely against it. Ask him who killed him and he will say he does not wish to comment. The AI-powered, life-size 3D avatar of Mahatma Gandhi — now live at the Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya in the capital — is fielding questions from visitors and answering in Gandhi’s own voice, based on his documented speeches, writings and recorded views.
The museum launched the AI-powered interactive HoloBox installation on May 21, enabling visitors to engage in life-like interactive conversations with what officials described as a “hyper-realistic” 3D avatar of the Father of the Nation. The life-size digital avatar, installed in the Anubhuti section of the museum, allows visitors to engage in real-time voice conversations using generative AI and motion-tracking technology. When a visitor asks a question, the system scans a wide range of websites, archives and digital material to generate an answer, which is then delivered in Gandhi’s voice. The AI model currently supports interaction in two languages, English and Hindi.
The avatar’s responses on two subjects are drawing particular attention. On Partition, Gandhi states: “I was completely opposed to the division of India and Pakistan. But the decision was taken despite my disagreement.”
On the question of his assassination on January 30, 1948 — by Hindu nationalist Nathuram Godse — the Gandhi says: “My death happened on January 30. But as for who was responsible, I do not wish to comment on that.” To be sure, Gandhi died 15 minutes after he was shot, and it can be argued that he couldn’t have known who assassinated him.
Prime Ministers’ Museum and Library Society (PMMLS) chairperson Nripendra Misra said, “The aim of the initiative is to preserve Gandhi’s spirit of inquiry while making history more engaging for visitors.” He declined comment on the AI Gandhi’s response to the assassination question.
Ministry of Culture officials, who oversee the museum, confirmed that this is the first AI-based interactive Gandhi avatar of its kind in the country. The HoloBox is the third such exhibit at the museum, following similar installations of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and former President APJ Abdul Kalam. The Patel HoloBox was unveiled on September 17, 2025, allowing visitors to pose questions and receive answers on the leader’s life, philosophies and pivotal moments in India’s history.
The overall museum recorded over 640,000 visitors in 2025-26, averaging a daily footfall of 1,400 to 1,500. Exact visitor figures for the Patel HoloBox were not available.
“We are working to bring extensive use of AI at the museum to enhance the experience of visitors. So we started with a life-size AI-powered Holobox of Sardar Patel, then of ex-President APJ Abdul Kalam, and now Gandhi ji. Soon, we will bring a similar avatar of Atal ji,” PMMLS Director Ashwani Lohani said. A gallery dedicated to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee with a similar AI avatar is expected to be ready by June 30, and visitors will be able to ask questions about his life, tenure and poetry.
Lohani said the museum is engaging with a startup that participated in the recent AI Summit in Delhi on a new initiative that makes exhibits more accesible to visually challenged individuals.
The Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya, inaugurated in April 2022 and spread across the historic Teen Murti complex, received over 6.4 lakh visitors in the financial year 2025-26. The museum receives 1,400 to 1,500 visitors a day on average.
From June 1, the museum has also reduced ticket prices for some additional services by up to 30%. The basic entry ticket remains unchanged — ₹40 for Indian children aged 5-11 on weekdays and ₹50 on weekends, and ₹50 for those above 12 on weekdays and ₹100 on weekends.
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