Frequently asked questions
Short answers, each with a link to the page that says it in full.
What you are looking at
What is Epoch Voices?
A gallery of historical figures — and a few characters from fiction — each of whom you can speak with in a live video conversation. You type a question; the figure answers aloud, with an animated portrait, grounded in that figure’s own writing. The About page explains how a conversation works.
Is this a real recording of the person?
No. Not the face, not the voice, not the words. Every figure is an AI-generated performance: a generated portrait animated by software, a synthesised voice, and machine-generated replies grounded in historical material. No figure, and no estate, took part in it or endorsed it.
Where do the words come from?
From each figure’s own writing, in the public domain in the United States: letters, books, speeches and journals — or, for fictional characters, the work they appear in. Biographies and third-party accounts are not used. Each figure’s card says what it speaks from, and a few say plainly where that standard could not be met in full.
Can a figure say something wrong?
Yes. A reply is a machine-generated approximation grounded in what the figure wrote, with the fictionalisation inherent in any such portrayal. It is not a historical record and should not be relied on as one. Check anything that matters against the source.
How do I find figures on a theme?
The gallery search matches names, eras and tags, so “stoic” or “1835” finds a figure. The Collections page groups figures by theme.
A figure I talked to has gone. Why?
The roster changes over time. Every figure is reviewed for trademark claims in a name or likeness before being added, and figures have been removed when that review found a live claim.
Your conversation and your data
Do you keep what I say?
No. Conversation content is not written to our database — there is no transcript to keep. We keep a count of conversations started in the current period — a day without an account, a month with one — and, if you have an account, your favourite figures. The Privacy Policy sets out what else is held and which service providers handle a conversation along the way.
Do you use my microphone or camera?
No. Questions are typed; only the figure speaks. The site never captures your microphone or camera.
How do I delete my account?
From your account menu, in the top right of the site, at any time. Deletion removes your favourites, your quota history and your sign-in. The Privacy Policy describes what happens if a deletion only partly succeeds.
Cost and plans
Is it free?
To start, yes. Without an account you get one free conversation a day. A free account gives you a monthly allowance of conversations instead; since September 2026 that monthly allowance is smaller in total than the daily one free accounts had before. Paid plans replace the count with a monthly budget of minutes, allow longer sessions, and from Magellan up add debates between two figures. Current plans and prices are on the Membership and Pricing page.
What is a debate?
Two figures and a topic. You choose both figures and the subject, and they argue it out with each other. Debates are included from the Magellan plan up.
How does the free trial work?
Where a plan offers one, it is one trial per person, tied to the email address on the account. Nothing is charged until the trial ends, and cancelling before then costs nothing. Switching plans mid-trial ends the trial and charges the new plan straight away, so finish the trial first if you are still deciding.
Can I cancel?
Yes, at any time from your account. Cancelling stops the next renewal. Part-used periods are not refunded as a matter of course; the Terms of Service say what to do if something has gone wrong with a charge.
Who can use it
How old do I have to be?
Sixteen or over, whether or not you create an account. Younger pupils use Epoch Voices only through a school or institution with Institutional access, which holds the account and decides who uses it. See the Terms of Service.
Can my school, library or museum use it?
Yes, through Institutional access: the longest sessions, the largest monthly budget of minutes, debates, and several concurrent conversations under one account. It is arranged directly rather than bought online — write to admin@trescointegrations.com with the size of the group and how it will be used.
Who makes Epoch Voices?
Tresco Integrations LLC, in Illinois. Contact details are in the Terms of Service.