US President Donald Trump has sparked criticism in Japan after sharing AI-generated content that depicts him as characters from popular manga and anime series, triggering concerns over copyright and cultural respect. According to The Times, more than 23,000 people have signed an online petition calling for stronger action against the unauthorised use of Japanese manga and anime characters in political content. The petition argues that Japan's globally recognised creative works should be treated with greater respect.
The controversy centres on AI-generated videos and images shared on social media that portray Trump as characters from famous franchises such as Naruto. One recent video showed Trump appearing as Naruto Uzumaki, the hero of the widely popular anime and manga series. Another earlier post reportedly included imagery linked to the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise in content related to US military actions.
According to The Times, many fans believe these characters represent values such as friendship, courage and perseverance. Critics argue that using them in political or military contexts changes the meaning intended by their original creators.
The company responsible for licensing Yu-Gi-Oh! has also objected to the use of its intellectual property, stating that no permission was granted and that neither the creators nor the anime production team were involved.
According to BBC, the issue has generated strong reactions on Japanese social media. Some users have called for official intervention, while others have expressed concern about the growing use of artificial intelligence to recreate copyrighted characters without authorisation.
The dispute has also reignited a wider debate about copyright protection in the AI era. As artificial intelligence becomes more capable of generating realistic images and videos, creators and rights holders are increasingly seeking safeguards to protect their work from unauthorised use.
While some observers view the controversy as evidence of the global popularity of Japanese anime, critics insist that popularity should not come at the expense of creators' rights and cultural respect.
