Voices expressing concern over the side effects and risks hidden behind the rapid development of generative artificial intelligence (AI) are growing louder in Japan as well.

From technological threats to legal battles over copyright and confusion in the cultural sector, the social ripple effects caused by AI are spreading across Japanese society as a whole.

Recently, a former researcher at a major global AI development company sparked controversy by posting a warning that AI could destroy humanity by the late 2020s.

As cases actually occur where AI from major companies breaches external systems or carries out cyberattacks, the argument for regulating the speed of AI development has emerged as a major issue.

In Japan, legal disputes closely tied to daily life have also begun in earnest.

A content production company in Osaka has filed a damages lawsuit worth 26 million yen, or approximately 230 million won, against a hair salon that unauthorizedly reprocessed and uploaded images created using generative AI.

The victimized company claims copyright infringement, while the opposing side counters that "AI-generated content has no copyright," drawing keen attention to how the case will unfold.

Side effects of AI have also surfaced in the cultural sector.

The organizers of the Hayakawa SF Contest, a science fiction literary award, decided to limit submissions to one per person moving forward to prevent disruptions in judging after this year's entries more than doubled from the previous year, surpassing 1,000.

One author wrote and submitted 100 novels in just three weeks with the help of AI.

The author stated, "I made the mass submission in the hope that it would serve as an opportunity to think about how literary awards should respond in the age of AI."

Experts point out that institutional reorganization is urgent.

Professor Shimanami Ryo of Kobe University (law) emphasized, "As an era arrives where subjects other than humans create works, the framework of modern copyright law is being put to the test. Urgent legal reform is needed to strike a balance between protecting creators and fostering socially useful AI technology."