TikTok Accused of Misusing AI to Imitate 'Deep Male Voice'! Famous Voice Actor Kenjiro Tsuda Sues, Landmark Japanese Verdict Imminent

Japanese anime voice actor Kenjiro Tsuda has taken TikTok to court, accusing the platform of using artificial intelligence (AI) to imitate his 'deep and husky' baritone voice in videos posted on the service. The court is scheduled to deliver a verdict on the 30th.

According to AFP, entertainers worldwide are increasingly worried about AI voice imitation, a threat that is also impacting Japan's historic anime industry. In Japan, voice actors are sometimes as adored by fans as the characters they voice.

Tsuda, widely known for his roles in popular series such as 'Jujutsu Kaisen' and 'Yu-Gi-Oh!', has filed what is considered Japan's first lawsuit aimed at protecting an individual's vocal characteristics from AI replication.

Tsuda is demanding that TikTok remove a series of videos featuring a narration voice described as uniquely 'low and husky'. The 55-year-old voice actor stated, 'This voice is unmistakably mine.'

According to court documents obtained by AFP, TikTok's platform argues that the voice is merely a 'generic male voice' and that any claimed similarity to Tsuda's voice is, at best, subjective.

Yuko Sasaki, Executive Director of the Japan Actors Union, told AFP that an actor's voice is 'the result of years of rigorous training and apprenticeship' to hone that skill.

'This is the fruit of our continuous improvement, investing significant time and money. We fully support Kenjiro Tsuda,' Sasaki said.

The videos in question were posted by an anonymous account whose profile picture closely resembled a character from 'Jujutsu Kaisen' that Tsuda had voiced.

These videos combined images with what appeared to be AI-generated speech, primarily covering urban legends, mysterious phenomena, and conspiracy theories.

The lawsuit states that the account once had over 200,000 followers and was estimated to generate more than 500,000 yen (approximately NT$100,000) in monthly revenue.