David Greene Sues Google Over NotebookLM AI Voice, Claims Unauthorized Replication
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Longtime NPR host David Greene sues Google over NotebookLM voice | TechCrunch
David Greene, the longtime host of NPR's "Morning Edition," is suing Google, alleging that the male podcast voice in the company's NotebookLM tool is based on Greene, according to The Washington Post. Greene said that after friends, family members, and coworkers began emailing him about the
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Google Sued by Former NPR Host Over NotebookLM AI Voice
A lawsuit by radio host David Greene alleges that Google used his voice to train its AI. Google denies the allegation. A former NPR radio host has sued Google and its parent company Alphabet, alleging that the tech giant used his voice for its NotebookLM AI product. David Greene, former host of
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NPR's David Greene is suing Google over its AI podcast voice.
The former host of Morning Edition and current host of Left, Right & Center claims that Google illegally replicated his voice for its male podcast host in NotebookLM. Google denies this, but Greene (and many of his friends and colleagues) say the resemblance is "uncanny." As the Washington Post
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Former NPR Host Accuses Google Of Copying His Voice For AI Offering
Podcaster David Greene is accusing Google of using his voice without permission to create one of the AI voices in the company's research and note-taking tool NotebookLM. Google added Audio Overviews in the second half of 2024, allowing NotebookLM users to make brief podcast episodes out of pages
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NotebookLM under fire: Popular radio host says Google stole his voice
Google has dismissed the lawsuit as "baseless," asserting that the voice was recorded by a paid professional actor. Google's NotebookLM is one of the best AI tools out there, with features like Audio Overviews and Video Overviews that are a godsend for learning. Not everyone loves NotebookLM,
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Why your NotebookLM podcast might sound like it's hosted by NPR
Mark has almost a decade of experience reporting on mobile technology, working previously with Digital Trends. Taking a less-than-direct route to technology writing, Mark began his Android journey while studying for a BA in Ancient & Medieval History at university. But since then, he's cast his
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He spent decades perfecting his voice. Now he says Google stole it.
In his lawsuit, David Greene alleges Google violated his rights by building a product that replicated his voice without payment or permission. (Stephen Voss) David Greene had never heard of NotebookLM, Google's buzzy artificial intelligence tool that spins up podcasts on demand, until a former
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Google responds to claim that it stole David Greene's voice
Greene is the former co-host of NPR's Morning Edition and currently the host of the Left, Right, & Center podcast from the NPR member station KCRW. Greene found out about NotebookLM, which autogenerates podcasts, from a former coworker and was "completely freaked out," he told the Post. The
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'Hey, that's my voice!' Veteran broadcaster claims Google stole his voice for AI tool
Former NPR host David Greene is suing Google after accusing the tech giant of stealing his voice for use in one of its AI-powered tools. Greene, who presented NPR's Morning Edition for eight years until 2020 and now hosts the political podcast Left, Right & Center, told the Washington Post he was
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A radio host is suing Google for an AI-generated voice he claims sounds suspiciously like him: 'It's this eerie moment where you feel like you're listening to yourself'
NotebookLM, Google's notetaking tool, has an AI-generated voice feature that is surprisingly close to a real voice. One radio host argues it's not just close, but an actual ripoff of their voice, and has taken that claim to court. Former NPR radio host David Greene filed his case in California on
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He spent decades perfecting his voice. Now he says Google stole it.
David Greene had never heard of NotebookLM, Google's buzzy artificial intelligence tool that spins up podcasts on demand, until a former colleague emailed him to ask if he'd lent it his voice. "So ... I'm probably the 148th person to ask this, but did you license your voice to Google?" the former
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Creators Are Fighting Back as AI Mimics Their Voices -- This Case Could Set the Rules
As part of Google's Audio Overviews, NotebookLM users can prompt the AI to produce podcast episodes from documents they upload. Greene, who has hosted NPR's Morning Edition and KCRW's Left, Right & Center, has accused Google of basing one of the cohost's voices off of his own without gaining
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Longtime NPR host accuses Google of stealing his voice for AI podcast...
A longtime NPR radio host is suing Google for allegedly stealing his voice for the male podcaster voice in its AI podcast tool, according to a suit filed in Santa Clara County, Calif. David Greene - the former host of "Morning Edition" and "Up First," and current voice of KCRW's "Left, Right &
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Former NPR host David Greene has filed a lawsuit against Google, alleging the tech giant used his voice without permission to create the male podcast voice in its NotebookLM AI tool. Greene hired forensic experts who found 53-60% confidence his voice was used for training. Google denies the claims, stating it hired a paid professional voice actor.
Former NPR Host Takes Legal Action Against Tech Giant
David Greene, the former NPR host who captivated 13 million listeners on "Morning Edition" from 2012 to 2020, has filed a lawsuit against Google and its parent company Alphabet in California Superior Court in Santa Clara County
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. The lawsuit alleges that Google illegally replicated his voice for the male podcast host in its NotebookLM AI tool without authorization or compensation3
. Greene, who currently hosts KCRW's "Left, Right & Center" podcast, claims the resemblance became apparent after friends, family members, and coworkers began emailing him about the striking similarity between his distinctive broadcasting style and the AI voice1
.NotebookLM's Audio Overviews Feature Under Scrutiny
Google introduced the Audio Overviews feature to its NotebookLM AI tool in fall 2024, allowing users to generate AI-powered podcast episodes from uploaded documents and notes
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. The feature typically includes one male and one female cohost, and it quickly gained recognition for sounding "eerily human" according to Forbes, while WIRED praised the cadence, vocal performance, and use of filler words that made the product "stand out"4
. Google has called NotebookLM one of the company's "breakout AI successes"4
. However, Greene maintains that the male voice replicates his cadence, intonation, and even his use of filler words like "uh" and "like"—vocal quirks he had worked to minimize over years but could not eliminate5
.Forensic Analysis and Google's Response
To substantiate his claims, Greene hired an independent forensic software company specializing in voice recognition to compare his voice with the NotebookLM AI voice. According to the lawsuit, the tests indicated a confidence rating of 53-60% on a -100% to 100% scale that Greene's voice was used to train the software driving NotebookLM, with any confidence score above 50% deemed "relatively high". The CEO of the forensic company concluded it was their "confident opinion that the Google Podcast model was trained on David Greene's voice"
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. Google has firmly denied these allegations, with spokesperson José Castañeda stating, "These allegations are baseless. The sound of the male voice in NotebookLM's Audio Overviews is based on a paid professional actor Google hired". However, Google has not identified the voice actor in question.Related Stories
Intellectual Property Rights in AI Training Data
The lawsuit highlights broader concerns about intellectual property rights and consent in AI development. Greene's complaint states that "Google used Mr. Greene's voice without authorization and then used those stolen copies to develop, train, and refine its AI broadcasting product, NotebookLM". The case underscores how AI models require vast amounts of training data, yet regulatory guardrails remain limited when it comes to proper authorization and compensation for those whose work feeds these systems
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. For Greene, the issue extends beyond financial considerations. "My voice is, like, the most important part of who I am," he told The Washington Post, emphasizing that the harm is "deeper and more personal than just a missed chance to capitalize on his most recognizable asset"1
.Pattern of AI Voice Disputes Emerges
This lawsuit follows a growing pattern of disputes over AI-generated voices and likeness replication. In 2024, Scarlett Johansson raised concerns about an OpenAI voice that sounded similar to hers for ChatGPT's "Sky" voice, prompting the company to remove the sound-alike. Johansson, who famously voiced an AI companion in the 2013 movie "Her," had declined OpenAI's requests for her participation before the incident
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. Meanwhile, companies like ElevenLabs have taken a different approach, striking licensing deals with celebrities including Matthew McConaughey and Michael Caine. Greene's case raises critical questions about how AI companies source and compensate talent, particularly when mimicking likenesses gives users the power to make these voices say things the original person would never say4
. As AI technology advances and several high-profile lawsuits target industry giants like OpenAI and Google, the legal landscape around AI training data and intellectual property continues to evolve, with this case potentially setting important precedents for voice rights in the AI era.References
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