Japan Actors Union sets AI voice rule: consent at every stage

The guideline was drafted because Japan has no written law that comprehensively protects a person's voice itself — the union said waiting for government legislation would be too late, so it created a self-imposed standard to give both performers and businesses a common basis for creation and commerce.

Beyond its own industry, the union plans to step up lobbying of national and government bodies to turn voice rights into legislation. The guideline also covers multi-language use: when AI translates an original performance and generates dub audio, it sets out points of caution so the artistic identity of the performance is protected and unintended nuance shifts or unauthorized use in overseas territories are prevented. Additional permission and payment linked to global deployment are guaranteed in those cases.

The document also defines compensation for AI-generated voice use as equivalent to a new form of providing a performance, framing AI not only as something that takes work away but as a tool performers can license for income. For deceased performers, it establishes ethical rules requiring strict permission from the bereaved family or rights manager before any AI clone is made, to protect their dignity and brand.