The AI-powered video tool Sora, created by OpenAI, has become the new center of controversy among fans and professionals in the Japanese industry. In just one week since its launch, the system has been used to create scenes inspired by anime and games, such as Dragon Ball Z, One Piece , and Attack on Titan, reigniting the debate about copyright and misuse of intellectual property.
I tested the AI model Sora 2 on classic anime, the result is hardly believable…
— Naegiko (@naegiko) September 30, 2025
I can already see the hundreds of fanmades and parodies that are going to come out! Sora 2 is definitely a new step in AI anime.. pic.twitter.com/npWkSJjjML
Like ChatGPT, Sora transforms text descriptions into realistic videos with incredible accuracy. However, the lack of effective restrictions allowed users to recreate copyrighted characters and scenarios, which drew severe criticism. One of the most talked-about examples shows OpenAI CEO Sam Altmancutting up a realistic Pikachufans Nintendo.
Furthermore, while giants like Disney and Marvel seem to have automatic blocks within the platform, Japanese creations remain vulnerable. This imbalance led Japanese politician Akihisa Shiozaki to call an emergency meeting to discuss measures to protect national culture. According to him, there is a risk that technologies like Sora are "destroying Japanese culture."
Altman acknowledged the problem and promised to allow copyright holders granular control over the use of their works. However, the executive did not detail timelines or concrete methods. On the other hand, Nintendo reaffirmed that it will continue to take legal action against any unauthorized use, regardless of whether it involves artificial intelligence or not.
Thus, the discussion about the ethical and legal limits of AI in entertainment continues to grow — and Japan seems to be at the forefront of this new battle.
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