Masako Nozawa, the veteran Japanese voice actress behind Goku in Dragon Ball, has condemned AI-generated videos that reproduce her voice without permission.
Speaking to Japanese broadcaster NHK, Nozawa described the unauthorized use as “unforgivable” and compared it to stealing, arguing that even a technically convincing imitation cannot reproduce the emotions behind a human performance. Her comments come as concerns about AI voice cloning grow across Japan’s anime and entertainment industries.
MASAKO NOZAWA SAYS AI COPIES CANNOT REPRODUCE GENUINE EMOTION
Nozawa, 89, has voiced Goku since the original Dragon Ball anime premiered in 1986. She has also portrayed Gohan and Goten, making her voice one of the franchise’s most recognizable elements across generations of fans. Her decades-long career received further recognition in 2025, when she became the first voice actor to receive Japan’s Person of Cultural Merit honor.
During her interview with NHK, Nozawa questioned whether AI-generated voices could ever match the emotional depth of an actual actor.
“It might even be a perfect copy. But it has no heart, does it?”
she said.
She explained that genuine emotion changes how a line is delivered, even when a character is simply crying. For Nozawa, replicating the sound alone does not recreate the performance that gives a character personality and emotional weight.
The voice actress was particularly direct about people using her voice without consent.
“This is not my voice. Using it without permission is unforgivable. It’s the same as theft, and it makes me angry,”
she stated, as reported by Dexerto.
Nozawa is not rejecting AI technology entirely. Instead, her criticism focuses on people reproducing and using performers’ voices without obtaining permission first.
JAPAN ACTORS UNION INTRODUCES NEW AI VOICE GUIDELINES
Nozawa’s comments coincide with new guidelines announced by the Japan Actors Union on October 15, 2026. The organization, which represents approximately 2,600 actors and voice performers, introduced the rules to address concerns about the unauthorized use of performers’ voices in AI training, generated recordings, and published content.
According to the union’s official announcement, the guidelines seek to protect performers’ rights while establishing clearer expectations for companies developing or using voice-generation technology. They emphasize consent and appropriate compensation when performers’ voices are used.
Nozawa is not the only prominent anime voice actor to raise concerns. In August 2026, Neon Genesis Evangelion voice actress Megumi Ogata also criticized unauthorized AI voice cloning and called for stronger government intervention.
As AI-generated anime content becomes more common, Nozawa’s objections highlight a central issue facing the industry: whether technological advances should allow people to reproduce a performer’s distinctive voice without their approval.
