NPR host David Greene is suing Google, arguing that its AI podcast tool replicated his voice without his permission.
Greene claimed in an interview with The Washington Post that NotebookLM, the Google AI podcast machine that generates summaries of texts and sources for podcast-style audio, utilized his voice for its male speaking companion.
“I was, like, completely freaked out,” Greene said. “It’s this eerie moment where you feel like you’re listening to yourself.”
Greene alleges that Google violated his rights by launching the technology utilizing his voice without compensation. He added that co-workers have stated that the voice sounds like his in both email and text messages.
David Greene previously hosted Morning Edition for NPR before retiring in 2020. He now helms Left, Right & Center for KCRW.
Meanwhile, Google has denied any wrongdoing in the case.
“These allegations are baseless,” a Google spokesperson said. “The sound of the male voice in NotebookLM’s Audio Overviews is based on a paid professional actor Google hired.”
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