Google Must Face Ex-NPR Host's AI Voice Suit In State…

A federal judge has ruled that a lawsuit brought by former NPR "Morning Edition" co-host David Greene against Google may proceed in state court. The litigation centers on allegations that Google misappropriated Greene's voice for use in an artificial intelligence-powered podcasting product.

What happened

David Greene filed suit against Google, claiming the technology giant utilized his voice without authorization to power an AI-driven podcasting tool. Google had attempted to move the case to federal court, arguing that the claims were rooted in the Copyright Act, which would necessitate federal jurisdiction. However, the presiding California federal judge rejected this contention, clearing the way for the legal proceedings to continue at the state level. The ruling marks a significant development in the ongoing dispute over the commercial use of human voices in synthetic media and artificial intelligence applications.