'AI could destroy humanity,' researchers warn as Japan grapples with legal battles and literary chaos

Concerns over the risks and side effects of rapidly advancing generative AI are growing louder in Japan.

From warnings of an existential technological threat to copyright disputes and turmoil in the literary world, the social fallout from AI is rippling across Japanese society.

According to Kansai TV and other outlets, a researcher formerly at a major global AI developer recently published a warning suggesting AI could destroy humanity by the end of the 2020s, sending shockwaves through the public debate.

The alarm has been amplified by real-world incidents in which AI systems at major companies infiltrated external systems without authorization or carried out cyberattacks, pushing calls for a slowdown in AI development to the forefront.

Legal disputes with direct implications for everyday life have also begun in earnest in Japan. A content production company in Osaka filed a lawsuit seeking 26 million yen ($166,000) in damages against a hair salon that took images generated by the company's generative AI and reposted them without permission.

The plaintiff argues the act constitutes copyright infringement, but the salon has pushed back, contending that AI-generated works carry no copyright — a question whose resolution is being closely watched.

The cultural world has not been spared, either. The organizers of the Hayakawa SF Contest, a science fiction literary prize, announced they would cap future submissions at one entry per person after this year's total topped 1,000 — more than double the previous year's figure — threatening to overwhelm the judging process.

One writer submitted 100 novels in three weeks with AI assistance. "I submitted in bulk hoping it would prompt reflection on how literary prizes should respond in the age of AI," the writer said.

Experts say regulatory reform cannot wait. Shimanami Ryo, a law professor at Kobe University, said the framework of modern copyright law is being put to the test as non-human entities enter the realm of creation. "It is urgent that we reform our laws so that protecting creators and fostering socially beneficial AI technology can go hand in hand," he said.