Japan Actors Union Introduces 22 AI Voice Guidelines Requiring Prior Consent and Addressing Compensation

Japan’s entertainment industry is taking another step toward addressing the growing use of generative AI in voice acting. The Japan Actors Union (JAU) announced new guidelines on October 15, 2026, outlining how companies should obtain permission before using actors’ and voice actors’ recordings to train AI systems, generate synthetic voices, or distribute AI-generated audio. The 21-page document, titled Guidelines for the Use of Generative AI on Vocal Audio, contains six sections and 22 articles. It aims to protect performers’ rights…