NPR Host Sues Google Claiming AI Podcast Tool Stole His Voice: ‘Very Weird Experience!’

(Screengrab via YouTube)

Public radio host David Greene has launched a legal battle against Google, claiming the tech giant replicated his voice for an artificial intelligence tool without his consent.

Greene, best known for formerly hosting NPR’s Morning Edition and current host of KCRW’s political podcast Left, Right & Center, says he was stunned when he first heard the male co-host voice on NotebookLM, Google’s AI tool that generates podcast-style summaries.

“I was, like, completely freaked out,” Greene told The Washington Post on Sunday. “It’s this eerie moment where you feel like you’re listening to yourself.”

He said colleagues pointed out the likeness in emails and texts.

The lawsuit, filed last month in Santa Clara County, California, alleges Google violated his rights by creating a product that mimics his voice without payment or permission. Greene says the resemblance captures his cadence, intonation, and even verbal tics he had worked to refine over decades.

“My voice is, like, the most important part of who I am,” Greene said.

The host added that he was not some “crazy anti-AI activist” and not pushing for legislative change, saying: “It’s just been a very weird experience.”

Responding to the newspaper, Google denied Greene’s claim.

“These allegations are baseless,” spokesperson José Castañeda said. “The sound of the male voice in NotebookLM’s Audio Overviews is based on a paid professional actor Google hired.”

Greene is relying on existing California publicity rights law to carry his claims, according to The Post, and legal experts warn the case may hinge on whether ordinary listeners would reasonably believe the AI voice is Greene’s and whether that belief harms his reputation or commercial prospects.

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