Japan's voice actors union issues first AI voice guidelines

Voice actors in Japan are troubled by AI copying their voices without permission. Kenjiro Tsuda, known for Attack on Titan, even sued TikTok over this issue. The Japan Actors' Association (JAU) has released the first version of its generative AI guidelines. The rules apply to all audio made by cloning actors' voices with AI. Anyone who wants to copy an actor's voice must get consent at every step. Companies that use an actor's voice for AI training need the performer's permission. Licensed AI voices count as a "performance," and companies must pay actors fees or royalties. Masako Nozawa, the voice of Goku in Dragon Ball, said using her voice without permission is no different from stealing, and AI-cloned voices sound "emotionless." The union has about 2,600 members, and this is among Japan's first industry rules on AI voice recording. Japan's unions are strong, so the rules may restrain unauthorized AI voice cloning. Japan is exploring how to regulate generative AI, and the guidelines are drawing wide attention.