October 31, 2026

Akahata editorial (excerpts)

The right to one’s voice has become a major issue in Japan due to the rapid advancement of generative AI technology.

A Ministry of Justice expert panel in August released guidelines regarding the infringement of publicity rights through the unauthorized use of celebrities’ and voice actors’ voices by AI. The panel concluded that these voices are protected under publicity rights.

According to the ministry’s guidelines, individuals can seek damages when these rights are violated, such as through voice cloning without permission.

A popular voice actor filed a lawsuit, claiming that an imitation of his voice posted on social media without permission infringed upon his rights. On September 30, the Tokyo District Court ruled that a video using AI-generated narration that mimicked his voice breached his right of publicity.

While the Copyright Act protects the rights of artists and other copyright holders as well as their “works” such as films, anime, and music, it does not cover “voices” because they are classified as a means of expression.

Amending the Copyright Act is necessary to protect the rights of performing artists. Creating AI regulations is also necessary to safeguard human rights overall.

On October 15, the Japan Actors’ Union, a cooperative association of actors and voice actors, announced guidelines to protect voice actors and performers from unauthorized generative AI.

The guidelines reference three key principles to protect performers from AI misuse, as advocated by the International Federation of Actors: individual and specific consent, transparency, and fair compensation.

In line with these guidelines and principles, the Japanese government and the Cultural Affairs Agency should expedite legislative amendments and establish AI regulations.

Past related articles:
> JCP urges gov’t to take action to put brakes on AI development race [October 2, 2026]
> Proposed amendment to privacy law could pose risk of AI-driven privacy violations [June 25, 2026]
> Calls are growing in Japan for rulemaking on use of ChatGPT [April 15, 2023]