Japan Actors Union announces guidelines addressing unauthorised use of generative AI to replicate voice performances
By “Technological progress will not cease, but the ‘living, breathing human expression’ and ‘acknowledgment of rights’ must consistently remain at its foundation.”
Image credit: Ritupon Baishya via Unsplash
The Japan Actors Union has unveiled new protocols to tackle the unapproved application of generative AI for mimicking voice performances.
As Automaton reports, the union’s guidelines suggest acquiring prior approval at “every stage” of employing generative AI, including prior to training models on an actor’s performance.
If generative AI imitates a performance, it must be regarded as a new rendition, necessitating further royalties or compensation for the actors involved.
For actors who have passed away, generative AI may imitate their voice only if authorization was given during their lifetime. Developers or AI firms must also secure consent from the deceased’s family and affiliated agency or company, and provide royalties.
The union’s instructions also encompass automatic translations by generative AI into other languages. If utilized, it must uphold the “artistic integrity” of the original performance and cannot be employed abroad without consent.
“The Japan Actors Union will endeavor to not merely establish these guidelines as industry-wide standards but also enhance its efforts to urge the government to enact regulations that safeguard ‘voice rights’,” the union stated.
“Technological progress will not cease, but the ‘living, breathing human expression’ and ‘acknowledgment of rights’ must consistently remain at its foundation.”
Last year, research indicated that more than half of Japanese developers utilize generative AI in game design, primarily for generating visual assets, images, character art, narrative development, in-game text, and programming assistance.
In 2023, SAG-AFTRA members voted to authorize a strike against several major publishers to safeguard performers from AI and secure job stability.
Following an 11-month strike, members voted in favor of the 2025 SAG-AFTRA Interactive Media Video Game Agreement, which established safety measures surrounding AI, including “consent and disclosure mandates for AI digital replica utilization and the capability for performers to withdraw consent for the creation of new material during a strike.”
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