AI Founders Museum Blurs History and Modern Politics

A new history exhibit commissioned by the Trump administration is raising eyebrows among historians, who worry that a push for a particular narrative of American history may be omitting crucial voices and context.

Bringing Founders to Life with AI

Located just steps from the White House, The Founders Museum is a partnership between the administration's White House Task Force 250 and the conservative nonprofit PragerU. Created to celebrate the upcoming 250th anniversary of America, the exhibit features 82 paintings, including portraits of all 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence.

But the main attraction is a series of over 40 AI-generated short videos where figures like Thomas Jefferson, Betsy Ross, and Alexander Hamilton appear to come to life and share their stories. The White House stated that the exhibit uses AI's power to make history engaging for Americans across the country.

History or Modern Commentary?

While historians like William G. Thomas of the American Historical Association support the idea of focusing on the founders, they have expressed concerns about the execution. The primary worry is how AI is used to reshape the words and stories of real historical figures.

A significant point of contention is a video where an AI-generated John Adams proclaims, "Facts do not care about your feelings"—a phrase popularized by modern conservative commentator and PragerU presenter Ben Shapiro, not the second president.

Brendan Gillis, also with the American Historical Association, highlighted the danger in this approach. "I have real concerns about the extent to which they weave together words that are preserved in primary sources from historical figures with other sort of commentary," he explained. "And it's not always clear [when] the historical figures actually said the words that are coming out of their mouth... and when this is the work of whoever scripted them."

PragerU CEO Marissa Streit responded that the portrayals are "careful interpretations—grounded in letters, speeches, and original writings from the period."

A Sanitized View of the Past

Critics also argue that the exhibit offers a narrow and sometimes sanitized version of history. Brown University history professor Karin Wulf points to the video of Revolutionary writer Mercy Otis Warren as an example.

"In the video, it acknowledges that she's a writer... But it then has her say these kind of pablum pieces about patriotism and liberty that are so much less stringent and so much less potent than what she actually said at the time," Wulf stated. Warren was known for being highly critical of the founders, once writing that America resembled a "restless, vigorous, luxurious youth, prematurely emancipated... but without the experience necessary to direct him to act with dignity or discretion," as detailed in her historical observations.

The Partner Behind the Project: PragerU

PragerU, founded in 2009 by conservative radio host Dennis Prager, is a nonprofit media organization, not an accredited university. It produces thousands of five-minute "edutainment" videos promoting conservative viewpoints on topics from history to science.

The organization has previously faced criticism for what many consider misleading and inaccurate content. A recent controversy involved a children's cartoon where Christopher Columbus tells two children, "Being taken as a slave is better than being killed, no? I don't see the problem." Critics slammed the episode for downplaying the horrors of slavery.

Streit defended the content, stating that critics misrepresented the videos and that historical figures must be understood within the context of their era, while also maintaining that slavery is evil.

Patriotism, Politics, and a National Tour

PragerU intends to take The Founders Museum on a national tour with "mobile museum trucks" to "reignite patriotism." The White House is also encouraging governors and ambassadors to display the exhibit in state capitols and schools.

This initiative arrives as President Trump has been critical of the Smithsonian Institution, particularly its exhibits covering slavery, immigration, and LGBTQ+ history.

For historians like Wulf, a complete and inclusive history is what best serves the nation. "The history that best serves us as a country... is the fullest history of all people," she said. "And if you look at the history of all the people, 40% of Virginians were enslaved."