Liberty Times, May 26, 2026, Page A5
International News Center / Comprehensive Report
Unknown Accounts Use AI to Imitate Voice, Upload Over 180 Videos
Kenjiro Tsuda, a well-known voice actor who voices the popular character Kento Nanami in the hit Japanese anime “Jujutsu Kaisen” and is also active in the film and television industry, has recently filed a civil lawsuit against the operator of the video-sharing platform TikTok. The lawsuit arises from his dissatisfaction with unidentified individuals who used generative artificial intelligence (AI) technology to imitate his voice without authorization and uploaded the resulting videos online. Tsuda is requesting the removal of the disputed videos.
Kenjiro Tsuda Narrated Taiwan Tourism Promotional Video Last Year
According to reports from Japanese media, Tsuda stated in his complaint that between July 2024 and September 2025, an unidentified account on TikTok posted more than 180 videos. All of these videos were produced using generative AI technology without his authorization, imitating his distinctive voice for narration. Tsuda claims that the uploader deliberately used voice imitation to attract viewers, thereby seriously infringing upon his “right of publicity” — the exclusive right of a well-known individual to commercially exploit their own economic value and influence.
To this end, Tsuda filed a lawsuit with the Tokyo District Court in November 2025, demanding that TikTok’s operating company remove all infringing videos. However, Tsuda’s legal representative revealed that TikTok countered by arguing that the narration in the disputed videos merely constituted a “generic male voice,” and insisted that the videos did not rely solely on the voice to attract viewers, requesting the court to dismiss Tsuda’s claims.
Tsuda has strong ties with Taiwan. In 2025, he was invited by Taiwan’s Tourism Administration under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications to provide narration for a tourism promotional video. His distinctive and captivating voice successfully generated buzz for attractions such as Alishan and the Dihua Street commercial district. In addition, Tsuda previously appeared as an actor in the classic film “Yi Yi”, directed by renowned Taiwanese filmmaker Edward Yang.
As cases of unauthorized use of celebrities’ likenesses and voices continue to increase, along with growing controversies surrounding the misuse of generative AI technologies, Japan’s Ministry of Justice established a panel of experts last month to further examine the civil liabilities that may arise from the infringement of others’ rights through the use of AI technologies.