Jujutsu Kaisen 0 animation director Nishii Terumi says the Japanese government is selling out the country and its creators because of their AI stance, after ChatGPT developer OpenAI launched a new office in Japan Copy.
OpenAI's expansion in Japan has come under fire this week, exacerbated by comments from vice president of external relations Anna Makanju. She cited the Japanese government's lax stance on AI as the impetus for the decision to launch OpenAI Japan, praising it: “They have taken a consistent approach of not aiming for strict regulations. Strict on AI.” Nishii responded to this, saying: “They steal all they want because we are a content powerhouse — this is truly 'Cool Japan'. They never defend the industry or the creators. That's the area where we're winning. LDP [Liberal Democratic Party] has been in decline for 30 years. They are completely selling out this country.” Cool Japan refers to a decades-long government initiative intended to showcase Japan's cultural influence worldwide.
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With the launch of OpenAI Japan, a new GPT-4 model, specifically optimized for Japanese, was announced. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman praised Japan's rich history and ability to empower innovation. The broader statement also mentioned how it is hoped that AI will be used to “realize solutions to population decline and rural labor shortages.”
Anime industry experts worry that AI could take away creators' jobs for free
With chronic labor shortages and increasing reliance on offshore outsourcing, the anime industry's reckoning with AI has naturally become a possibility. Ethical AI developers Anime Chain say the industry needs to seize the initiative before Big Tech does. It argued that with the industry's deep pockets and aversion to regulation, there could be a future where the work of anime creators would be freely available, claiming that this could “cause There was a crisis overnight.”
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Some Anime creators would rather rely on AI than outsourcing overseas
Some animators have said on social media that they would rather rely on AI than outsourcing overseas due to risk factors related to quality and timeliness. Concerns about foreign animators are growing due to industry pressures, demanding increased dependence, and the frequent need to correct overseas productions for errors. One animator also cited personal anecdotes about how prejudice against Chinese and Korean animators played a role. Others argue that AI should be reserved for simple uses, where a human could easily replicate its output but choose not to do so, rather than generative AI, where a program can can create a complete unit of work. This could reduce the anime industry's huge working hours and achieve faster financial returns.
While statistics for the anime industry as a whole are difficult to come by, a recent NAFCA survey of 3,854 people found that 46.3% support regulation with certain exceptions, in while 27.4% think this regulation should be completely limited. It's worth noting that NAFCA is an association made up of individuals who believe that the future of the anime industry is at stake. Therefore, this survey may have reached fewer AI advocates
Source: Terumi Nishii via X (formerly Twitter), OpenAI