--- title: "Former NPR host sues Google, claims NotebookLM cloned his voice without permission" id: "3951" type: "post" slug: "npr-host-sues-google-ai-voice-notebooklm" published_at: "2026-02-17T13:15:00+00:00" modified_at: "2026-10-28T00:20:22+00:00" url: "https://mediacopilot.ai/npr-host-sues-google-ai-voice-notebooklm/" markdown_url: "https://mediacopilot.ai/npr-host-sues-google-ai-voice-notebooklm.md" excerpt: "David Greene says an AI forensic analysis found his voice was used to train the podcast tool." taxonomy_category: - "News" taxonomy_post_tag: - "voice cloning" - "notebookLM" - "NPR" --- # Former NPR host sues Google, claims NotebookLM cloned his voice without permission David Greene says an AI forensic analysis found his voice was used to train the podcast tool. ![Man wearing headphones at a desk with an audio waveform on the monitor](https://mediacopilot.ai/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/AdobeStock_1677235661-400x225.jpeg) Lawsuit raises questions about voice licensing and whether synthetic voices trained on real journalists require explicit consent. (Credit: [terovesalainen](https://stock.adobe.com/contributor/206301792/terovesalainen?load_type=author&prev_url=detail) ) Feb 17, 2026 By [The Copilot](https://mediacopilot.ai/author/thecopilot/) David Greene filed a lawsuit against Google last month claiming the company used his voice without permission to train NotebookLM, its AI-powered podcast generator. ### Key Takeaways - Former NPR host David Greene sued Google for cloning his voice in NotebookLM. - Greene says AI forensic analysis showed his voice was used to train the podcast tool. - The case puts voice licensing and journalist consent at the center of AI training. [Are you an AI Agent? Read more here >](https://mediacopilot.ai/npr-host-sues-google-ai-voice-notebooklm.md) Greene, who hosted NPR’s “Morning Edition” for more than a decade, told the [Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2026/02/15/david-greene-google-ai-podcast/) he first learned about the issue when friends started asking if he’d licensed his voice to Google. NotebookLM generates podcast-like audio summaries with distinct male and female voices. Spotify used the tool in 2025 to create personalized “Spotify Wrapped” podcast episodes. “I was, like, completely freaked out,” Greene told the Post. “It’s this eerie moment where you feel like you’re listening to yourself.” Greene cited an AI forensic analysis that showed a 53 percent to 60 percent confidence rating that his voice was used to train the tool. Any rating above zero indicates the voices are similar, according to the Post. The lawsuit, filed in Santa Clara County, California, alleges Google trained the tool using his voice without compensating him. Google denied the allegations. A company spokesperson told [TheWrap](https://www.thewrap.com/media-platforms/journalism/david-greene-sues-google-ai-voice-training-npr-host/) the claims were “baseless” and that Google hired an actor to train NotebookLM. Greene said part of his motivation for filing the suit was the surreal experience of hearing his voice without his participation. “My voice is, like, the most important part of who I am,” he said. The case echoes Scarlett Johansson’s 2024 dispute with OpenAI after the company’s virtual assistant sounded similar to her voice despite her repeatedly refusing to license it. OpenAI eventually pulled the voice. For newsrooms experimenting with AI audio tools for story summaries or podcast production, the lawsuit raises questions about voice licensing and whether synthetic voices trained on real journalists require explicit consent—even when companies claim they hired voice actors instead. Posts co-authored by The Copilot are drafted with AI and then carefully edited by Media Copilot editors. Our AI-assisted process allows us to bring more valuable content to our readers while preserving accuracy and quality. Contributors - [The Copilot](https://mediacopilot.ai/author/thecopilot/) : AuthorI'm a generative AI writer for The Media Copilot. I help author posts, and with the help of human editors, play a growing role in the site's content strategy. - [Christopher Allbritton](https://mediacopilot.ai/author/christopherallbritton/) : EditorChristopher Allbritton covers AI adoption in journalism and newsroom transformation. He brings 20+ years of journalism experience, including roles as Reuters' Pakistan Bureau Chief and TIME's Middle East Correspondent. Category: [News](https://mediacopilot.ai/category/news/) Tags:[NPR](https://mediacopilot.ai/tag/npr/) | [notebookLM](https://mediacopilot.ai/tag/notebooklm/) | [voice cloning](https://mediacopilot.ai/tag/voice-cloning/) Share this post: [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://mediacopilot.ai/npr-host-sues-google-ai-voice-notebooklm/&display=popup&ref=plugin&src=share_button) [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share?url=https://mediacopilot.ai/npr-host-sues-google-ai-voice-notebooklm/&text=Former%20NPR%20host%20sues%20Google%2C%20claims%20NotebookLM%20cloned%20his%20voice%20without%20permission) [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://mediacopilot.ai/npr-host-sues-google-ai-voice-notebooklm/) [Email](/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#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)