David Greene, the esteemed former host of NPR’s “Morning Edition,” has initiated legal action against Google, alleging that the distinctive male voice featured in the company’s NotebookLM AI tool is an unauthorized replication of his own, as reported by The Washington Post.
Greene recounted that his conviction solidified after numerous friends, family members, and professional colleagues contacted him, pointing out the striking resemblance. He became convinced the AI voice meticulously mimicked his unique cadence, intonation, and even his characteristic use of verbal fillers such as “uh.”
Emphasizing the personal significance of his vocal identity, Greene stated, “My voice is, like, the most important part of who I am.” He currently lends his voice to the KCRW program “Left, Right, & Center.”
Google’s NotebookLM offers various functionalities, including the ability for users to generate podcasts featuring AI hosts. However, a spokesperson for Google strongly refuted Greene’s claims in a statement to The Post, asserting, “The sound of the male voice in NotebookLM’s Audio Overviews is based on a paid professional actor Google hired.”
This lawsuit marks another instance in a growing number of disputes concerning artificial intelligence voices that bear a striking resemblance to real individuals. A prominent prior case involved OpenAI, which ultimately removed a ChatGPT voice following a complaint from actress Scarlett Johansson, who contended it was an imitation of her unique vocal qualities.
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