Former NPR Morning Edition host David Greene has sued Google in Santa Clara County, California, alleging that the company trained its NotebookLM audio tool on his voice without paying him. The tool turns documents into podcast-style chats between two synthetic hosts, and Spotify used it last year for Wrapped-themed episodes.
Greene says he found out when friends asked whether he had licensed his voice, and that the male host copies his verbal tics. The suit cites a forensic analysis giving 53 to 60 percent confidence that his voice was used. Google calls the claims baseless and says it paid an actor to voice the tool.
The case follows earlier fights over sound-alike AI voices, including Scarlett Johansson's 2024 complaint against OpenAI.
Sources · 1