Dragon Ball legend blasts AI for stealing Goku’s voice
AI voice clones face a Super Saiyan smackdown.
Voice actor Masako Nozawa alongside Dragon Ball character Goku. Image by Cybernews.
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- Masako Nozawa says AI voice clones use her Goku performances without permission.
- She argues synthetic voices lack the emotion actors bring to real performances.
- Japan Actors Union proposed rules requiring consent before using performers' voices in AI.
- Other artists, including Morgan Freeman and Scarlett Johansson, have challenged unauthorized AI uses.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
The much-loved manga series Dragon Ball has built up a legacy spanning over 4 decades since 1984. And now, legendary voice actress Masako Nozawa, 89, has decried the use of AI to imitate her voice without her permission.
Nozawa has performed the voice of the main protagonist, Goku, in Dragon Ball for over 4 decades, charting the character's trajectory from childhood into adulthood.
In the past, there have been AI examples of making "Goku" sing songs, read memes, or say things she never recorded.
Nozawa broadly described the property looting as “unforgivable,” adding that synthetic versions cannot add the human nuances of emotion.
The voice actor was bullish about her property rights and even gave a vivid example of how AI cannot replicate the real thing.
“Without heart, it's no good, whatever the role. Even a voice that's only crying is different when you cry with real feeling. That's what I believe,” she told Japanese broadcaster NHK.
Masako Nozawa comments on the use of generative AI in voice acting: undefinedI can't forgive using it without asking. I want people to follow the rules.” After watching AI videos of her voice: undefinedThis is not my voice. Using it without asking is unforgivable. It's the same as stealing, and it makes me angry. My voice is mine, and my acting is mine too. If anyone uses even a little of it, they should get permission.undefined undefinedWhat (AI) makes might sound like me. It might even be a perfect copy. But it has no heart, does it? Without heart, it's no good, whatever the role. Even a voice that's only crying is different when you cry with real feeling. That's what I believe.undefined To young people aiming to become voice actors in the AI era: undefinedWork hard so that people say, as a voice actor, it absolutely has to be that person. Without heart, you're just reading the letters of the lines, so make them living words.undefined
undefined Hype (@DbsHype) October 15, 2026
Nozawa compared cloning her voice to theft, insisting that her performances belong to her and that anyone wanting to reproduce or use them should seek her permission first.
The performer is part of modern Japanese cultural heritage and was the first vocal performer ever to win the highly lauded Person of Cultural Merit award in 2025.
Nozawa has also spoken of her excitement at the progress of AI at the Japan Actors Union event on October 15th, while also expressing disillusionment at being duped.
The progress of AI is amazing [...] I get excited, too! But when I think that our voices are being used without permission, I feel a little disillusioned,voice actress Masako Nozawa told the Japan Actors Union.
Artists push back against AI
Nozawa’s comments at the actors' union coincided with the union's announcement of new AI guidelines on October 15th, seeking greater protection for performers.
The union represents 2,600 actors and performers, and the proposed standards would require artists' consent before their voices are used to train AI models, generate new recordings, or appear in published content.
In other artistic fields, actress Scarlett Johansson has spoken against the unauthorized use of her image rights, after she was seen protesting against Kanye West's anti-Jewish hate speech.
Morgan Freeman has also spoken out against unlicensed use of his voice, declaring, “You're robbing me,” in a plea against AI.
On the music front, a track duplicitously featuring vocals by Drake and The Weeknd was removed from Spotify in October 2025, leading to Spotify crafting a more “responsible AI” policy.
And more recently, even big companies like Sony and Warner Chappell accused Anthropic of using copyrighted songs to train Claude without permission.
