‘Baseless’: Google Hits Back at David Greene’s AI Voice Theft Claims

Google has vehemently denied allegations by former NPR host David Greene that the company misappropriated his voice for its NotebookLM AI tool. The tech giant is facing increased scrutiny regarding the development of synthetic voices, but maintains the similarities cited by Greene are coincidental and lack legal basis.

Google’s Response to the Lawsuit

According to Google spokesperson José Castañeda, the male voice used in NotebookLM’s “Audio Overviews” feature is not a digital clone of Greene. Instead, Google asserts it contracted a paid professional actor to provide the voice for the AI assistant. Android Headlines reports this clarification aims to distance Google from accusations of “scraping” or “mimicry” that have recently plagued other AI companies.

Context: The Claims Behind the Lawsuit

David Greene filed a lawsuit in California Superior Court, alleging that Google’s AI mimics his “distinctive voice, cadence, and persona.” CNET details that Greene, formerly of NPR’s Morning Edition and currently hosting KCRW’s Left, Right & Center, noticed the resemblance after the fall 2024 addition of the audio feature to NotebookLM.

Greene stated he was disturbed by the similarity, with friends and family even mistaking the AI-generated voice for his own. The lawsuit suggests Google intended to leverage his established journalistic credibility through the use of his voice. However, Google’s response labels the complaint as “baseless.” NPR initially reported on the lawsuit.

Similar Concerns Raised Against OpenAI

Google’s defense comes shortly after similar criticism was directed at OpenAI. Actress Scarlett Johansson previously voiced concerns about an AI voice that closely resembled hers, leading the company to remove the sound-alike. CNET notes this pattern highlights growing concerns about the ethical implications of AI voice replication and the protection of intellectual property.

According to the lawsuit, Greene hired a forensic software company to analyze the voice similarity between his own and the one used in NotebookLM. The analysis indicated a confidence rating of 53%-60% that Greene’s voice was used to train the software. CNET