Interactive AI Avatar Brings Mahatma Gandhi To Life At Delhi Museum

What if Mahatma Gandhi could answer your questions in real time? At the Prime Ministers' Museum and Library in Delhi, visitors are now getting a glimpse of that possibility through a hyper realistic AI powered Holobox of the Father of the Nation that can hold conversations, respond to queries and recreate the experience of interacting with Gandhi ji.

During NDTV's visit to the museum, the digital avatar of Mahatma Gandhi answered questions on governance, morality, society and India's freedom struggle in an interactive conversation that museum officials described as both educational and immersive.

The installation, launched at the Prime Ministers' Museum and Library, is being projected as the first such AI powered interactive Gandhi experience in the country. The life size three dimensional avatar uses artificial intelligence, voice processing and archival material to simulate conversations with Gandhi ji.

Speaking to NDTV, PMML Chairperson Nripendra Misra said the project was designed to keep alive the spirit of inquiry associated with Gandhi.

Mr Misra said the biggest challenge was training the system because Gandhi ji had spoken and written extensively on a wide range of subjects.

“The challenge was that Bapu had expressed his views on various matters, so the system had to be fed with inputs on multiple subjects,” he said.

According to officials, the AI model was trained over several months with nearly 6,000 curated questions and can currently converse in two languages. Visitors can directly ask questions to the avatar and receive responses generated from Gandhi ji's documented speeches, writings and public positions.

Museum authorities say the initiative is part of a larger attempt to make history more engaging for younger audiences through immersive technology.

NDTV also spoke to Anuj Kaushal, whose company developed the technology powering the installation. He said the idea was to move beyond static museum displays and create an experience where visitors feel connected to national leaders in a personal and conversational format.

The Gandhi installation is the third AI powered Holobox introduced at the Sangrahalaya. Earlier, interactive avatars of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and A. P. J. Abdul Kalam were launched at the museum. Officials confirmed that a Holobox of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will be introduced next.

Inside the museum's Anubhuti section, where the installation is housed, visitors gather around the digital Gandhi avatar as it speaks, gestures and responds almost like a real conversation. Museum officials described the avatar as “hyper realistic” and said the project aims to improve accessibility and public engagement using emerging technology.

For many visitors, the experience is less about technology and more about the rare feeling of being able to ask Gandhi ji a question directly and hear an answer back.