The Japanese government announced on Friday it will establish a council of experts to discuss whether unauthorized use of sound data in AI-generated content emulating voice actors violates the Civil Code, amid advances in generative AI. The Justice Ministry panel will also address use of actors' images and present guidelines by July, as no legal precedent exists.
The Japanese government announced Friday it will form a council of experts to examine if unauthorized use of voice actors' sound data in AI-generated content violates the Civil Code, driven by rapid generative AI advances. The Justice Ministry-led panel will cover actors' image use as well and issue guidelines by July, given the lack of legal precedents.
The ministry notes that non-consensual use of individuals' voices and images may infringe on publicity and portrait rights, though voices' status under portrait rights remains legally unclear. The panel will review scenarios, drawing on court rulings that deemed unauthorized portrait use a violation.
Cases under consideration include AI-generated audio of a voice actor narrating sexual content uploaded to social media, and AI figures in films resembling real actors. The group will also deliberate on compensation claims when victims have died.
With no current precedents, the ministry says the forthcoming guidelines will provide clarity for the industry.
