AI “Voice Theft” Scandal: NPR Veteran David Greene Sues Google Over Uncanny Podcast Clone

In a bizarre and unsettling twist of AI technology gone awry, veteran NPR host David Greene is taking Google to court, accusing the tech giant of stealing his voice to create a disturbingly accurate AI podcast clone. The case, which could set a major legal precedent in the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence, centers on Google’s NotebookLM—a tool designed to generate podcasts on demand—and whether its male virtual host is a digital doppelgänger of Greene himself.

The controversy erupted last fall when Greene, known for hosting NPR’s Morning Edition and KCRW’s political podcast Left, Right & Center, received an email from a former colleague. The message was simple yet unsettling: “Did you license your voice to Google? It sounds very much like you!” Greene, initially unaware of NotebookLM, decided to investigate. What he heard left him “completely freaked out.”

The male AI co-host’s voice bore an uncanny resemblance to Greene’s—from the cadence and intonation to the occasional “uhhs” and “likes” that Greene had spent years trying to minimize. Even his wife was taken aback, her eyes widening as she listened. Soon, texts and emails from friends, family, and colleagues flooded in, all asking the same question: Is that you?

Greene became convinced that Google had used his voice without permission, training its AI model on his vocal patterns to create a synthetic version that could say things he would never say. Feeling violated, he filed a lawsuit against Google, alleging that the company had infringed on his rights by replicating his voice without payment or consent.

Google, however, vehemently denies the claims. In a statement to The Washington Post, the company insisted that the male podcast voice in NotebookLM has nothing to do with Greene. Now, a Santa Clara County, California, court may be tasked with determining whether the resemblance is close enough that ordinary listeners would assume it’s Greene—and if so, what legal recourse he has.

Adding fuel to the fire, Greene’s lawsuit cites an unnamed AI forensic firm that analyzed the artificial voice and Greene’s. The firm’s software gave a confidence rating of 53-60% that Greene’s voice was used to train the model, which it considers “relatively high.” This finding has only deepened the mystery and controversy surrounding the case.

The implications of this lawsuit extend far beyond Greene’s personal grievance. As AI technology becomes increasingly sophisticated, questions about voice ownership, consent, and the ethical use of personal data are coming to the forefront. If Greene’s claims are proven true, it could force tech companies to rethink how they develop and deploy AI tools that mimic human voices.

Mike Pesca, host of The Gist podcast and a former NPR colleague of Greene’s, weighed in on the situation. “If I was David Greene, I would be upset, not just because they stole my voice, but because they used it to make the podcasting equivalent of AI ‘slop,'” Pesca said. He criticized the AI-generated banter as “surface-level” and “un-insightful,” arguing that podcast hosts rely on their unique taste and commentary to engage audiences. “They have banter, but it’s really bad,” Pesca added. “What do we as show hosts have except our taste in commentary and pointing our audience to that which is interesting?”

The case also raises broader questions about the future of AI-generated content. As tools like NotebookLM become more advanced, they blur the line between human creativity and machine replication. For Greene, the issue is deeply personal. “It’s this eerie moment where you feel like you’re listening to yourself,” he said, describing the experience of hearing his AI clone. For Google, it’s a matter of defending its technology and its practices.

As the lawsuit unfolds, it’s clear that this case could have far-reaching consequences for the tech industry, content creators, and consumers alike. Whether Greene’s voice was truly stolen or merely coincidentally similar, the controversy has sparked a much-needed conversation about the ethical boundaries of AI and the protection of individual rights in the digital age.

For now, Greene’s fight against Google is just beginning. But one thing is certain: this case will be closely watched by anyone who cares about the future of AI, creativity, and the human voice.

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