According to Bloomberg, Japan’s manga industry is currently worth up to 14 billion USD with many characters that bring high commercial value such as Dragon Ball, Pokemon, etc. However, manga, anime, and other creative industries are being threatened by the appearance of AI. With the help of AI, anyone can easily imitate artworks that artists spent considerable time creating.
The battle for the future of art in this AI era is happening all over the world, and even Japan must also update its laws to protect creators and their artworks.
Despite that, the laws in Japan are still AI-friendly and prioritize the need for data of technology companies so there is not enough protection for the artists, who are working hard to promote Japanese culture.
The last time Japan updated their intellectual property law was in 2018, but it’s still vague so some believe that copyrighted materials can be widely used for AI tool development without asking for permission from the owners. Analysts in the creative industry said that this approach aimed at attracting technology companies.
In response to such a situation, a subcommittee of Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs said they would review issues related to AI copyrights. Earlier this year, they released a brief on the current copyright law to gain acknowledgement of the challenges creators are facing, however, this document failed to be legalized.
In the meantime, they are also providing legal advice to artists for free and reaching out to creators to understand their difficulties better. Bloomberg’s Asian technology commentator Chatherine Thorbecke pointed out that the Japanese government is too slow in taking responses, while technology companies are “utilizing” content on the Internet to train AI models.
Double Blow
For Japanese creators, they are facing double the pressure. Many feel that their works are being exploited to create the very tools that threaten their livelihoods.
A survey conducted by the Japan Association of Creative Artists last year found that 92% of illustrators are concerned that their works have been copied to develop AI without permission. About 60% of respondents also worry about fewer job opportunities.
In addition, some of Japan’s most beloved manga and anime characters also seem to have been used by AI. Social media is flooded with new AI versions of these characters, such as Hello Kitty with a machine gun or Pikachu as a wrestler.
The copying doesn’t stop at static works. Earlier this year, OpenAI revealed Sora, an AI video creation tool. Filmmaker Tyler Perry stated that he halted plans to expand his $800 million studio in Atlanta after seeing Sora’s “shocking” capabilities.
Sora represents a new development in AI within the creative industry. Image: Medium.
Meanwhile, OpenAI has not publicly shared detailed information about the data the company used to develop Sora. Sora’s Chief Technology Officer, Mira Murati, has avoided questions about this issue in an interview earlier this year. When asked if Sora used videos from YouTube, she said, “I’m not really sure about that.”
Mira’s response also somewhat reflects the alarming lack of transparency among companies in AI development. Meanwhile, OpenAI has announced plans to open its first Asian office in Tokyo, and many believe that Japan’s open AI regulations played a role in that decision.
Soul-less Imitation
Globally, issues of intellectual property rights and AI copyright are being brought to court. China is currently leading in tightening legal regulations on AI. In a landmark case earlier this year, a court in Guangzhou ruled that an AI service provider was liable for copyright infringement for output products similar to Japan’s sci-fi character Ultraman.
Catherine Thorbecke suggests that Japan, as a cultural powerhouse, should take a more proactive approach by requiring AI companies to be transparent about the data they use. The next step might be to establish clear guidelines on how to compensate artists if their works are used by AI.
Allowing technology companies to profit by accessing the free labor value of creators, who are already poorly paid, could increase income inequality and undermine the future of creative industries that rely on intellectual efforts, Thorbecke says.
In addition to being created from stolen works, one of the biggest criticisms of AI-generated art is that it lacks soul and emotion. Hayao Miyazaki, the Oscar-winning filmmaker, once said he was “disgusted” when he saw an AI-generated animation. “I truly feel this is an insult to life,” he said in a 2016 NHK documentary.
Sources: Zing, japantimes
