Andy Walker / Android Authority
TL;DR Former NPR host David Greene is suing Google, alleging that NotebookLM’s male AI voice used in the Audio Overviews feature is an unauthorized replica of his own.
Greene claims the AI mimics his specific cadence and vocal habits developed over decades on “Morning Edition.”
Google has dismissed the lawsuit as “baseless,” asserting that the voice was recorded by a paid professional actor.
Google’s NotebookLM is one of the best AI tools out there, with features like Audio Overviews and Video Overviews that are a godsend for learning. Not everyone loves NotebookLM, though, and former NPR host David Greene has his own reason to dislike Google’s AI tool: It sounds like Google stole his voice, literally.
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Greene used to host “Morning Edition,” which was heard by 13 million listeners from 2012 to 2020, making it the most popular news radio show in America. Greene now hosts the political podcast “Left, Right & Center.”
As Greene shared with The Washington Post, NotebookLM’s male voice sounds eerily like his, from the cadence and intonation to the occasional “uhhs” and “likes” he had worked over the years to minimize but could not eliminate.
You can check out David Greene’s voice in the video below:
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