Commentary: Japan’s AI stance is betraying its anime artists

Japan’s AI policy risks harming its anime industry by enabling unchecked use of copyrighted material for AI training.

: Japan's artists, from manga to anime, have global influence, yet face threats from AI mimicking their works. AI tools, enabled by current IP laws, are trained on copyrighted material without permission. Japan must change its laws to protect the artists who shaped its culture.

Japan’s artists, whose creations from Studio Ghibli to Pokemon have made the country globally influential, are now under threat from artificial intelligence tools that mimic their art forms. Catherine Thorbecke for Bloomberg Opinion argues that Japan must update its laws to protect these artists as AI technologies use copyrighted materials without permission.

A 2018 update to Japan’s intellectual property law allows widespread use of copyrighted materials to train AI tools, leading to a fight for artists’ rights. Nearly 25,000 public comments were submitted on this, yet the current guidelines remain non-binding, leaving artists vulnerable.

The issue is pressing, with social media and open-source AI models showcasing AI-generated versions of beloved characters. Figures like Hayao Miyazaki have condemned AI art as soulless, urging Japan to prioritize protecting human creativity over technology firms’ interests.

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