Daily Tech Headlines: February 16, 2026

Episode: Former NPR Host Sues Google Over "Stolen Voice"

Hosts: Jen (Main anchor for this episode)

Episode Overview

This episode delivers a concise roundup of essential tech news, with the primary focus on the lawsuit filed by former NPR host David Greene against Google, accusing the company of using his voice and speaking style for its AI voice assistant without consent. The episode also touches on major issues involving AI and intellectual property, recent legal actions in the industry, emerging Google features, and product rumors from Apple.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. David Greene Sues Google Over AI Voice Similarity

[02:09–03:05]

• Background:
  • David Greene, former NPR host, has filed a lawsuit against Google in Santa Clara County Superior Court.
  • The case revolves around Google's AI product, NotebookLM, which features a male podcast voice alleged to sound similar to Greene.
  • An unnamed AI forensic firm granted a "confidence rating of 53 to 60%" that the voice model was trained on Greene’s recordings.
• Google’s Response:
  • Google told the Washington Post that "the sound of the male voice in NotebookLM's audio overviews is based on a paid professional actor Google hired previously."
• Notable Parallel Cases:
  • Actress Scarlett Johansson previously protested against OpenAI for mimicking her vocal style, which led to OpenAI pulling the contested voice.
  • Disney and Paramount issued cease-and-desist orders regarding ByteDance’s AI video tool, Sea Dance 2.0, for copyright violations.
• Industry Context:
  • Charles Rivkin (Motion Picture Association CEO) remarked:

    "In a single day, the Chinese AI Service Sea Dance 2.0 has engaged in unauthorized use of U.S. copyrighted works on a massive scale." [03:02]

  • ByteDance responded that it is taking steps to "strengthen current safeguards" to protect IP.

2. Google’s Gemini-Powered Audio Summaries for Docs

[03:12–03:39]

• Feature:
  • Google Docs introduces Gemini-powered audio summaries that deliver short, natural-language synopses of a document, including content from multiple tabs.
  • Users can choose from different voice styles: Narrator, Coach, and Persuader.
• Availability:
  • Rolling out to paid tiers: Workspace Business (Standard & Plus), Enterprise (Standard & Plus), and AI add-ons (AI Ultra & Pro).

3. Western Digital’s Filled Capacity and Enterprise Focus

[03:39–04:07]

• Key Points:
  • Western Digital’s (WD) storage capacity for 2026 is already fully booked, mostly by enterprise clients.
  • Consumer share has dropped to 5%, with the majority allocated for enterprise storage.
  • CEO Irving Tan announced long-term contracts including 2027 and 2028 provisions.

4. OpenAI Discontinues GPT-4o Model

[04:08–04:36]

• Update:
  • OpenAI has discontinued its GPT-4o model, once popular for "creating AI partners and companions."
  • The majority of users have migrated to GPT-5.2, with only 0.1% daily active users remaining on GPT-4o before shutdown.
  • OpenAI faces ongoing wrongful death lawsuits specifically referencing GPT-4o.

5. YouTube Tests New Notification System, Crackdown on Ad Blockers

[04:37–05:20]

• Notifications:
  • YouTube is experimenting with withdrawing push notifications from users who have "hit the bell" but do not engage when notified. This aims to prevent users from opting out of all notifications and instead nudge them to adjust individual preferences.
• Ad Blocker Pushback:
  • YouTube is reportedly blocking users from viewing video comments and descriptions if ad blockers are detected.
  • There’s speculation that recent issues might stem from changes in how ad blockers interact with YouTube, causing severe drops in content creators' view counts.

6. Upcoming Apple Product Event Announced

[05:21–05:49]

• Event Details:
  • Apple will hold a press event on March 4th at 9am Eastern.
• Potential Announcements:
  • Rumored releases include:
    • Low-cost MacBook with A18 Pro chip
    • MacBook Air M5 Pro, MacBook Pro M5 Max
    • New Mac displays
    • iPhone 17e, new iPad models
    • iOS 26.4 Beta, possibly with Gemini-powered Siri features

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Charles Rivkin, on AI copyright infringement:

  "In a single day, the Chinese AI Service Sea Dance 2.0 has engaged in unauthorized use of U.S. copyrighted works on a massive scale." — [03:02]

• OpenAI Statement, on sunsetting its model:

  "The vast majority of usage has shifted to GPT 5.2, with only 0.1% of users still choosing GPT 4o each day." — [04:20]

• Jen, summarizing the day’s main lawsuit:

  "Former NPR host David Greene is suing Google over the similarities of his voice and speaking style to the mail podcast Voice in the Notebook LM Tool." — [02:12]

Timestamps of Key Segments

• 02:09 – Lawsuit against Google over "stolen voice"
• 03:12 – Gemini-powered audio summaries in Google Docs
• 03:39 – Western Digital's storage capacity update
• 04:08 – OpenAI ends GPT-4o model
• 04:37 – YouTube’s notification experiment and ad blocker crackdown
• 05:21 – Preview of Apple’s upcoming March event

Tone & Language

The reporting remains neutral, concise, and clear, matching the show’s direct and professional tone. Complex industry topics are distilled into actionable takeaways for listeners seeking a quick yet thorough briefing on the day’s top tech stories.

Conclusion

This episode offers a compact, high-level view of several pressing tech news stories, with the main focus on legal and ethical debates around AI-generated voices and copyright. Listeners leave informed about both industry controversies and upcoming product launches, with plenty of context and attributions.