Japan Sends Warning to OpenAI: Hands Off Our Anime
Japan has issued a strong warning to OpenAI, asking the company to keep its AI models away from their anime and manga. A massive coalition of publishers — including Kadokawa, known for its iconic isekai titles like KonoSuba and Re:Zero, as well as Kodansha (Attack on Titan, Blue Lock) and Shogakukan (Detective Conan, Frieren) — published a strongly worded statement condemning the data training practices of Sora 2, OpenAI’s new text-to-video AI model. This sentiment was also reflected in a separate, equally critical statement from Weekly Shonen Jump publisher Shueisha.
The statements, both from the 17-member-strong publishing coalition and a separate one from Shueisha, noted a massive influx of infringing content following the launch of Sora 2. They pointed to numerous instances of AI-generated videos showing a clear dependence on and similarity to existing creative works, with Shueisha specifically identifying the infringement of anime and character copyrights. Both parties attacked the AI’s training model, arguing that its current “opt-out” system — which forces creators to request removal — is fundamentally flawed. The publishers asserted that this practice violates both Japanese copyright law and the WIPO Copyright Treaty, with Shueisha describing the situation as an escalating infringement crisis that requires urgent action.
Japanese Publishers Warn OpenAI Over Generative AI & Sora 2 Copyright Infringement
Both the coalition and Shueisha are demanding fundamental changes to how AI models are trained. Their primary demand is a shift from the current “opt-out” model to an “opt-in” system, which would require AI operators to get explicit permission from the right holders before using their work. They also called for full transparency into what data is being used for training generative AI and insisted that creators receive appropriate compensation. Shueisha’s statement reinforced these concerns, adding a specific call for government intervention, stating that “a response at the national level, including the establishment of new laws, is also essential for content protection.”
The publishers clarified that this is not a rejection of AI itself, stating they welcome technological advancement if used correctly. However, they stressed their responsibility to protect the work and dignity of the creators, arguing that AI’s evolution cannot be built on infringement. Both parties affirmed they would take action against copyright violations, with Shueisha vowing to take “appropriate and strict measures.” Their stated goal is to foster a “fair, transparent, and sustainable creative environment” where both creators and users can operate with peace of mind.
This is not the first time OpenAI has faced backlash for its generative AI practices. In the past, the company’s image-generation model fueled a viral “Ghiblifying” trend, where users created content that was virtually indistinguishable from the iconic art style of Studio Ghibli films like My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away. While the trend was popular, it also received significant backlash from artists and fans concerned about copyright infringement. At the time, many expected the notoriously protective Studio Ghibli to speak out against the unauthorized use of its style, but no official statements were released by the company.
While generative AI has sparked serious copyright concerns for all creators, Japan’s stance is not a wholesale rejection of the technology. Shogakukan, for instance, has invested in the startup Orange Inc. to use AI for manga translations, aiming to drastically reduce localization times. Similarly, Toei Animation, the studio behind One Piece and Dragon Ball, is using AI to improve their operational efficiency. The industry has also begun testing the capabilities of generative AI, though not without controversy. In 2023, Netflix Japan and WIT Studio produced the short film The Dog & The Boy, which famously used AI-generated images for its backgrounds, and more recently, an anime titled Twins HinaHima utilized AI assistance for the majority of its cuts.
While the Japanese anime and manga industry is clearly open to embracing the technology, rights holders draw a hard line when it comes to copyright infringement, as evidenced by their aggressive, ongoing legal battles against piracy, where publishers and groups like CODA have worked with international authorities to shut down scores of illegal streaming and manga sites.
