AI Voice Replication Sparks Legal Battle: Google Denies Allegations of Misusing Actor's Likeness

February 15, 2026
AI Voice Replication Sparks Legal Battle: Google Denies Allegations of Misusing Actor's Likeness
  • Greene emphasizes his voice is an identity cornerstone and worries about misrepresentation by AI, seeking damages and an injunction.

  • The case centers on whether an AI voice that closely resembles a real person infringes rights and risks monetization for Greene.

  • The dispute sits at the center of a broader fight over AI voice replication, consent, attribution, and ownership as AI-enabled media expands.

  • Legal questions loom about AI likeness rights, copyright, and who owns or can license synthetic voices as the field evolves.

  • Observers frame this case as part of a growing wave of AI-generated content debates about consent, attribution, and ownership.

  • Google says the NotebookLM male voice is not Greene's likeness but comes from a paid professional actor, with voice synthesis built on licensed data.

  • Google denies the allegations, asserting their voice work is by a hired actor and operates within legal boundaries using licensed data.

  • Google reiterates the voice is based on a professional actor, not Greene’s likeness.

  • Greene was alerted in fall 2024 by a former colleague that a voice sounding like his had appeared in AI content and asked whether he had licensed it.

  • A former colleague raised concerns via email in fall 2024 about NotebookLM’s AI voice resembling Greene’s.

  • The licensing or rights to Greene’s voice were questioned after the colleague noticed the likeness.

  • Experts weigh factors such as degree of resemblance, fame-based recognition thresholds, and potential harm to a creator’s reputation and opportunities.

Summary based on 11 sources


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