NIKKEI Film: Japanese anime vs. generative AI

TOKYO — Japanese anime is facing a new threat, copyright infringement made easy by artificial intelligence. Websites that allow users to share images created by generative AI are being flooded with depictions that more than resemble well-known characters. Nikkei investigated about 90,000 images and found about 2,500 with multiple similar features to the original artwork.

Illegally distributed pirated images are also suspected of being used to train AI, a powerful technology that has evolved to the point where it is now capable of generating animation.

Is it possible to create a cartoon from a single comic book frame? With the cooperation of Shuho Sato, a popular manga artist known for such works as “Give My Regards to Black Jack,” we examine this question. While generative AI expands the boundaries of content, if misused it could unleash a new form of piracy that undermines Japan’s animation industry.