Fight against AI impersonation of voices and portraits! Japan plans to amend the law to strictly control, but only "these" will be exempted from control
Quick Look
- Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has proposed a draft amendment to the Unfair Competition Prevention Act, which aims to control the unauthorized use of other people’s portraits and voices in commercial products and advertisements by generative AI.
- It also clearly excludes legitimate expression activities such as imitation shows from the scope of control.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
With the popularity of generative AI, the problem of unauthorized use of other people's portraits and voices for commercial activities has become increasingly serious, and current laws are considered difficult to effectively deal with.
On the 13th, Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry proposed a specific draft of new controls under the Unfair Competition Prevention Act to an expert meeting, aiming to prevent infringements such as the unauthorized use of other people’s voices or likenesses through generative AI (artificial intelligence). The draft mainly targets the unauthorized use of the attractiveness of portraits or voices for products and advertisements, and also proposes a plan to exclude behaviors such as parody shows and voice imitations from the controls.
The Yomiuri Shimbun reported that the draft control objects announced that day were divided into the following three types, including use as products for people to enjoy the portrait or voice itself, use for the purpose of product differentiation, and use for advertising purposes. Specific examples include candid photos made using personal photos, products with portraits printed on them, and voice data created using voice actors' voices.
The above three types all aim to commercially exploit the attractiveness of the image or voice. At the expert meeting held on the 13th, some participants also expressed opinions that "profit-making use of social media (SNS) should also be included in the scope of control."
On the other hand, behaviors that engage in imitation shows, voice imitation, and the use of one's own likeness and voice by those who accidentally look or sound similar to the person themselves are excluded from the control. This move aims to clearly define the scope of control and thereby reduce the impact on legitimate performance activities.
With the spread of generative AI, it has become easier to create a voice or image that closely resembles your own, and the problem of unauthorized use in products, advertisements, and videos has also expanded. After receiving opinions that the current law cannot adequately control the unauthorized use of images and voices, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has continued to study the revision of the law. In the future, it will also conduct in-depth discussions at expert meetings to promote specific system design.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry will continue to discuss and promote system design in expert meetings.
Very likely · Within months
Open Questions
- Will profit-making on social media be formally regulated?
- What is the specific timetable for the completion of the amendments?
