NHK

Japanese artists call for AI regulation to protect copyright

A group of illustrators and cartoonists in Japan are calling for legislation to protect their copyrighted work against inappropriate use of artificial intelligence.

Mokume Momoji, an illustrator, and two other members of the group of about 30 artists made the appeal at a news conference on Thursday.

They point out that most types of image-creating generative AI collect and copy images without permission from their copyright holders and use them as machine training data.

They also say there is a rampant problem of people using generative AI to alter images online without permission, and releasing the AI versions as their own work.

The group representatives say there has not been sufficient debate in Japan about the need for legislation on AI development and copyright issues.

They want the developers of image-creating generative AI to obtain permission from the copyright holders before using their work to train their programs.

The group also says that images made by generative AI should be clearly labeled as such, and their creators should be required to pay fees to the copyright holders of the originals.

Mokume says a large number of copies of his works have been released online, and it is unforgivable.

He said his group wants the Japanese government to protect creative activities and artists' rights.

Source: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230427_30/