NPR Veteran Claims Google Copied His Voice Without Permission

David Greene, the familiar voice behind NPR's "Morning Edition" for years, has taken legal action against tech giant Google. In court documents filed this week, Greene alleges that the male voice generated by Google's NotebookLM bears an uncanny resemblance to his own distinctive broadcasting style.

"Listeners Thought It Was Me"

The current host of KCRW's "Left, Right & Center" says the controversy began when NotebookLM launched its podcast feature earlier this year. "I started getting texts from colleagues asking if I'd done voiceover work for Google," Greene told reporters. "Then my mother called - she swore it was me reading those AI summaries."

Greene's complaint details specific similarities that go beyond basic tone and pitch. The AI allegedly replicates his characteristic pauses, verbal tics like "um" and "you know," even his particular way of emphasizing certain syllables - what linguists call prosody.

Google Denies Voice Theft Claims

A Google spokesperson responded sharply to the allegations: "We work exclusively with professional voice actors who record original content for our products." The company maintains thorough documentation of its voice talent contracts but hasn't publicly identified the actor behind NotebookLM's narration.

Legal experts note these cases present novel challenges. Unlike traditional copyright disputes involving recorded performances, this situation involves algorithmic recreation of vocal patterns - legally murky territory.

Not The First Celebrity Voice Clash

The entertainment industry watched closely last year when Scarlett Johansson confronted OpenAI about ChatGPT's "Sky" assistant sounding suspiciously like her performance in Her. That dispute ended with OpenAI removing Sky from circulation.

Voice actors' unions warn that unauthorized digital replicas threaten livelihoods across media industries. Meanwhile, some listeners report preferring certain synthetic voices precisely because they resemble trusted broadcasters like Greene.

The case could set important precedents about where inspiration ends and imitation begins in our increasingly synthesized audio landscape.

Key Points:

• Distinctive Style: Greene claims NotebookLM copies his unique speech patterns beyond just vocal tone
• Industry Impact: Case follows similar disputes involving celebrity voices replicated by AI systems
• Legal Gray Area: Current laws don't clearly address algorithmic recreation of human voices
• Cultural Shift: Listeners increasingly accept - sometimes prefer - synthetic voices resembling familiar personalities