Megumi Ogata, the Japanese voice actor known for playing Shinji Ikari in Neon Genesis Evangelion, has described AI voice cloning as “heartbreaking” and called for action by Japan’s government. The comments highlight growing concern among performers that generative AI could reproduce distinctive voices without consent, payment or meaningful control.

Ogata’s intervention reflects a wider dispute over how rapidly developing AI tools should be regulated in creative industries. Voice cloning can potentially affect voice actors’ livelihoods and ownership of their performances, particularly where recordings are used to train or imitate AI systems without clear permission.