NPR Veteran Takes Google to Court Over Alleged Voice Theft

David Greene's voice has been a comforting morning presence for millions of NPR listeners over the years. Now, the longtime "Morning Edition" host finds himself in an unexpected legal battle - accusing Google of digitally impersonating him.

"That's Me - But It's Not"

The controversy began when Greene started receiving puzzled messages from colleagues about his supposed involvement with NotebookLM, Google's AI-powered note-taking tool. "At least a dozen people asked if I'd secretly recorded voiceovers for Google," Greene told reporters. "When I listened myself, I got chills - it wasn't just similar, it felt like someone had bottled my vocal essence."

Greene points to specific quirks - subtle pauses before punchlines, characteristic inflection patterns, even habitual filler words like "um" appearing in identical contexts. "My voice isn't just sound waves," he argues. "It carries decades of trust I've built with audiences."

Google Fires Back

The tech giant firmly rejects these allegations. "We worked exclusively with professional voice actors," a Google spokesperson stated. Internal documents reportedly show contracts with multiple performers who provided source material for NotebookLM's audio features.

Legal experts note this case enters murky territory. While copyright protects specific recordings, the general sound and style of a voice exists in a legal gray area - especially when recreated through AI rather than direct sampling.

A Growing Pattern?

This isn't Silicon Valley's first vocal controversy:

• OpenAI recently disabled ChatGPT's "Sky" voice after Scarlett Johansson comparisons
• Several podcasters have reported discovering eerily accurate AI clones of their voices online
• Voice actors increasingly demand contractual protections against digital replication

Key Points:

• NPR host David Greene sues Google over alleged vocal imitation by NotebookLM AI
• Claims friends couldn't distinguish AI voice from his authentic recordings
• Google maintains they used licensed professional actors
• Case highlights unresolved legal questions around AI vocal replication