Interactive AI avatar of Mahatma Gandhi at Delhi's Prime Ministers' Museum from today: All you need to know

Visitors to the Pradhanmantri Sanghralaya or the Prime Ministers' Museum in the national capital will be able to interact with an artificial intelligence-powered ‘hyper-realistic’ 3D avatar of Mahatma Gandhi from today, 20 May, news agency PTI reprted. The AI-powered interactive HoloBox installation, the third such exhibit will bring the spirit of Bapu alive through cutting-edge technology, officials told the news agency. Also Read | PM Modi reaches Rome, bilateral talks with Italy PM high on agenda For enhanced interaction and visitor satisfaction, the museum has strengthened its use of technology, the officials said. This will enable the visitors to engage in life-like interactive conversation with Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation. Earlier, AI-powered HoloBox installations of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and former president APJ Abdul Kalam were launched at the museum. It also plans to soon launch a similar installation of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the official said. View full Image View full Image Earlier, AI-powered HoloBox installations of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and former president APJ Abdul Kalam were launched at the museum. It also plans to soon launch a similar installation of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the official said. (PTI) "Such initiatives reinforce the commitment of the Pradhanmantri Sanghralaya in presenting India's political and democratic heritage in a holistic manner," Ashwani Lohani, Director of Prime Ministers' Museum and Library told the news agency. What is AI-powered interactive HoloBox? The AI-powered interactive HoloBox is a state-of-the-art holographic display that projects hyper-realistic, life-size 3D digital images. Integrated with generative AI and motion-tracking sensors, it allows users to have natural, real-time voice conversations with virtual avatars of the personalities. The project blends an immersive experience of history with cutting-edge technology, officials said. "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, and then of former president APJ Abdul Kalam. Soon, we will bring similar avatars of Gandhiji and Atalji," Lohani told PTI in a video interview in April. He had said that the project was in its final stage and was expected to be launched by the end of May this year. All about Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya The Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya was earlier known as the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML). A society was set up in 1966 to manage the historic property and its collections. In 2023, however, it was renamed the Prime Ministers' Museum and Library (PMML) following the inauguration of the Sangrahalaya by Prime Minister Modi in 2022. The museum, which the government extensively promotes as a tourist site in Delhi, comprises a landmark building, originally constructed in 1929-30 as the residence of the then-commander-in-chief of the British military forces in India, which later became the abode of the first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, and a new modern complex completed in 2022. Lohani, who had served as the chairman and managing director (CMD) of Air India and the chairman of the Railway Board, was appointed director of the PMML nearly a year ago. PMML is a unique institution that preserves the legacy of all Indian prime ministers since Independence and serves as a repository of an extraordinary wealth of archival documents, especially private papers related to VVIPs and VVIP organisations, spanning the last 100 years. Such initiatives reinforce the commitment of the Pradhanmantri Sanghralaya in presenting India's political and democratic heritage in a holistic manner. More than 6.4 lakh people visited the museum in the financial year 2025-26. Being the former residence of the then-commander-in-chief of India, there is also an 18th-century cannon - installed right in front of the porch of the heritage building designed by Robert Tor Russell – which faces the majestic front lawns overlooking the 'Teen Murti' monument on the street roundabout that lent the old building its name – Teen Murti Bhawan.