Dragon Ball Star Sparks Outcry Over Involvement in a Deepfake Promo
The voice of Goku has gotten into some hot water with anime fans thanks to a tribute video employing AI.
Artificial Intelligence in the anime medium has been a hotly debated item recently. Anime fans will often remain cautious when it comes to the implementation of A.I., believing that the use of this technology would be a detriment to the creators of some of their favorite series. It should come as no surprise that a recent video that brings a beloved manga creator back from the grave has raised some eyebrows. Shockingly enough, a major voice actor in the Dragon Ball franchise has received ire from fans for participating in the video.
Since the beginning of the Dragon Ball franchise, voice actor Masako Nozawa has been voicing Son Goku. Throughout the original series, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball Super, Nozawa hasn't just voiced the role of Goku, but Gohan and Goten as well. In recent interviews, the legendary Japanese voice actor has stated that she'd love nothing more than to keep voice acting if she were to live past one hundred years old. Besides the Dragon Ball franchise, Nozawa also played a role in the Galaxy Express 999 franchise as Tetsuro Hoshino, which has unfortunately caused controversy thanks to her involvement with a tribute to franchise creator Leiji Matsumoto.
Dragon Ball Express
In a tribute video to Leiji Matsumoto, who passed away in February 2023, artificial intelligence and "deepfake technology" was used to create a conversation with the Captain Harlock creator and Nozawa. The video was made with Matsumoto's family's approval, though some fans are still raising an eyebrow over the implementation of the tech for the tribute video.
Fans aren't the only ones worried about the use of A.I. in the anime industry, as last year revealed that more than 90% of the workforce in the medium are worried. In a report from TBS News Dig, a staggering 94% of creators were concerned that A.I. "could have harmful effects such as rights infringement" on the industry. Also in 2023, the CEO of Studio MAPPA, Manabu Otsuka, stated that he believed it was impossible for creators and artificial intelligence to co-exist, while going on record that A.I. simply couldn't replace real-world talent.
What do you think of the use of artificial intelligence in this recent tribute video? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the continued use of A.I. in the anime industry.