Technology used to recreate historic court arguments with voice-cloning technology

Voice-Cloning Technology Revisits Historic Brown v. Board of Education Decision

In a groundbreaking development, an innovative voice-cloning technology is making it possible for people to hear Chief Justice Earl Warren announce the historic Brown v. Board of Education decision on school desegregation, just as he did 70 years ago on May 17, 1954.

The project, titled “Brown Revisited,” is the brainchild of former Northwestern University professor Jerry Goldman, who has spent years painstakingly putting together a website that allows people to hear oral arguments in decades worth of Supreme Court cases. However, Goldman was always frustrated by the lack of audio recordings of oral arguments before 1955, missing out on the historical significance of the Brown decision.

Through artificial intelligence, recordings of key figures in the case, including Chief Justice Warren and future Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall, have been recreated to make it sound like they are speaking anew. The project also includes a one hour, 45-minute presentation of the actual arguments in the Brown case, highlighting the importance of the decision in the civil rights movement.

The use of voice-cloning technology has raised concerns about the potential for misuse, particularly in the creation of deepfake videos. However, project coordinator James Boggs assures that “Brown Revisited” is a “deep true,” using historical documentation to recreate the voices of long-dead individuals.

While some ethical concerns persist, the Brown project offers a new window into history, allowing people to experience a key moment in the civil rights movement in a unique and engaging way.

To access the “Brown Revisited” project, visit brown.oyez.org and listen to Chief Justice Warren announce the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision as it happened 70 years ago.