Kenjiro Tsuda sues TikTok over AI voice cloning

Kenjiro Tsuda, a prominent Japanese anime voice actor known for roles in franchises such as ‘Jujutsu Kaisen’ and ‘Yu-Gi-Oh!’, has filed a lawsuit against TikTok. The legal action seeks to protect his vocal identity from AI-generated clones.

Tsuda is demanding the removal of numerous videos featuring a voice he describes as his distinctively ‘deep’ and ‘lustrous’ baritone. The videos, posted by an anonymous account with over 200,000 subscribers, reportedly use AI-generated speech to narrate content regarding urban legends, occult phenomena, and conspiracy theories. Legal filings suggest the account generated upwards of 500,000 yen (approximately $3,200) per month.

TikTok has contested the claim, arguing in court records that the voice in question is a ‘generic male voice’ and that any perceived similarity to Tsuda is subjective. The Japan Actors Union has expressed full support for the lawsuit, with executive director Yuko Sasaki stating that a voice is the result of years of rigorous training and that the court should recognize voice ownership as a fundamental right.