Apple, Meta, and 7 tech giants face lawsuit over AI voice training data

Nine major technology companies are facing a significant legal battle in a Chicago federal court over allegations that they collected and used personal data without permission to train artificial intelligence systems. The lawsuits were filed by journalists, podcasters and audiobook narrators who claim their recordings and biometric information were used without proper consent.

The companies named in the litigation include Apple, Amazon, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia and Samsung, among other major technology firms. The plaintiffs include Chicago journalist Carol Marin and Pulitzer Prize winners Yohance Lacour and Alison Flowers. Award-winning journalist Robin Amer is also among the named plaintiffs. Their lawyers argue that technology companies have collected enormous amounts of human-generated information from sources across the internet.

The plaintiffs say some of that information may have been used to develop and train AI models without notifying the people who created it. The legal fight could become an important test of Illinois’ **Biometric Information Privacy Act**, commonly known as BIPA. The law requires companies to inform individuals before collecting biometric information and obtain their consent. It also requires businesses to explain how long such information will be retained and when it will be permanently destroyed. BIPA also places restrictions on the sale of biometric data.

Illinois has previously seen a surge of lawsuits under the law because of its strict privacy protections. Although the state reduced certain BIPA penalties in 2024, companies can still face substantial damages for violations. Under the law, negligent violations can result in penalties of $1,000, while intentional or reckless violations can carry penalties of up to $5,000 per violation. The current lawsuits focus primarily on privacy and biometric data rather than traditional copyright infringement claims.

However, copyright has become a major issue in the wider debate over how AI companies obtain training material. The plaintiffs allege that the companies violated privacy, publicity, consumer fraud and deceptive practices laws. They argue that individuals should have been informed before their biometric information was collected or used. The defendants strongly dispute the allegations and argue that the plaintiffs have not demonstrated that their specific recordings were actually used to train AI technology.

Apple has argued that simply showing that recordings were publicly available online does not establish that Apple used them for AI training. Meta has also rejected the claims and said it provides users with information about how their data is used. The nine cases are currently spread across seven federal judges in Chicago. Apple has asked the court to consolidate the cases under a single judge, potentially creating a more coordinated legal process.

The defendants are represented by lawyers from several prominent law firms, including Gibson Dunn, Greenberg Traurig, Jenner & Block, Latham & Watkins, Morgan Lewis, Quinn Emanuel and Sidley Austin. The legal dispute comes as technology companies increasingly depend on massive amounts of human-generated data to improve AI systems. Voice recordings are particularly valuable for developing AI tools capable of understanding, generating and modifying human speech.

For journalists, podcasters and audiobook professionals, the issue raises concerns about the unauthorized use of their voices and professional work. A ruling in the case could influence how companies collect and process biometric information for AI development in the future. It could also establish important boundaries between publicly available online content and personal information protected by privacy laws. The Chicago litigation therefore has implications far beyond the individual plaintiffs, as the outcome could affect how the rapidly growing AI industry obtains and uses human-generated data.