Japan’s High-Tech Battle Against Manga Piracy
Japan is turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to combat the rampant piracy of its beloved manga and anime, a problem that reportedly drains approximately ¥2 trillion (about £10.5 billion) from the industry each year.
The Cultural Affairs Agency (CAA) has unveiled a ¥300 million (£1.5 million) pilot program aimed at developing AI capable of scouring the internet to detect and report unauthorized content.
This AI system will be trained to recognize specific images and text, enabling it to identify pirated material across the web. If successful, the technology could extend its reach to other forms of media, including films and music. A CAA spokesperson noted, “There are limitations to finding pirated sites with the human eye, as it takes time and cost. We would like to develop effective countermeasures to reduce pirated sites and protect rights holders.”
The stakes are high for Japan’s creative sectors. In 2022, exports of games, animated films, and comic books surpassed ¥4.7 trillion. The government aims to quadruple this figure to ¥20 trillion by 2033, bolstered by initiatives like the Cool Japan Fund, which provides interest-free loans to creators.
The global appeal of Japanese manga and anime is undeniable, with franchises like “One Piece” and “Dragon Ball” captivating audiences worldwide. Notably, Studio Ghibli’s “The Boy and the Heron” topped the U.S. box office in December last year, underscoring the international demand for Japanese animated content.
However, the proliferation of pirated content poses a significant threat to the industry’s growth. By leveraging AI, Japan hopes to safeguard its cultural assets and ensure that creators receive fair compensation for their work. As tech visionary Bill Gates once said, “We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten.” Japan’s embrace of AI in this context could indeed herald a transformative era for content protection.
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