Danica Davidson
May 12, 2025 
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (a.k.a. METI) is a section of the Japanese government, and it recently said that using generative AI in the wrong ways could run afoul of the country’s Unfair Competition Prevention Act.
Namely, METI pointed out how using generative AI to copy a voice actor’s voice (without the actor’s permission) would probably break the law. As examples to illustrate what it’s talking about, it mentioned using a person’s voice for an alarm clock or for a music video. It says things should be looked at on a case-by-case basis.
The Unfair Competition Prevention Act expressly forbids “the act of creating confusion with another person’s goods or business by using an Indication of Goods or Business.” In other words, using voice actors’ voices without their okay could confuse people into thinking that the voice actor was personally involved in something. It could also possibly hurt a person’s career.
According to Japanese law, people who break the Unfair Competition Prevention Act might be looking at prison time or a fine, or even both. People can get as many as five years behind bars, or have to pay as much as 5 million yen (approximately $34,000).
Voice actors have been responding to generative AI. Some, like Masako Nozawa (Goku in Dragon Ball Z) and Banjo Ginga (Police Inspector Tawashi in Astro Boy) inked a deal where their voices could be used in AI under certain conditions, like for robots or virtual assistants. Other actors have been concerned about the whole thing and what could happen to their livelihood. Actors like Ryūsei Nakao (Freeza in Dragon Ball Z), Kōichi Yamadera (Spike Spiegel in Cowboy Bebop), and Romi Park (Edward Elric in Fullmetal Alchemist) and many others created their own group “No More Mudan Seisei AI” (translated as “No More Unauthorized Generative AI”).
OpenAI’s recent use of Studio Ghibli’s style without permission is another recent issue that’s been affecting the anime community.
Source: ANN
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, plus its sequel, Manga Art for Everyone, and the first-of-its-kind manga chalk book Chalk Art Manga, both illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
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