Yoko Takahashi, the singer for Neon Genesis Evangelion’s iconic opening, canceled her appearance at a concert due to its use of generative AI to create its poster. With AI encroaching further and further into every aspect of art, this is just the latest story on the new technology to make headlines.
Both Evangelion and Takahashi are major names in the world of anime, so many fans are probably concerned. Here is a breakdown of Yoko’s choice, the concert’s response, and what this means for the future of AI in entertainment.
The Cancellation
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As reported by Automaton Media, the Japanese singer Yoko Takahashi canceled her appearance at an upcoming concert on June 20. Originally, she intended to perform at the Ikebukuro Animation Philharmonic in Tokyo, scheduled for July 10. This will likely disappoint many fans, but she canceled for a justified reason and did so for the greater good.
Her explicitly stated reason was that a poster promoting the event was created using generative AI. She said that the use of generative AI went against what she stood for as an artist, so she could not support the organization. This is another powerful example of a major artist sticking up for creatives against corporations trying to replace them. This update comes mere weeks after Evangelion’s studio, Gainax, closed its doors.
Fortunately, the Philharmonic responded with a lengthy apology shortly after. They replaced the image with a real one and offered refunds to fans. This is another hopeful sign that some organizations are willing to retract their support for AI. Additionally, many fans understood this choice, showing how united her fanbases are against the technology.
Who Is Yoko Takahashi?
For those unaware, Yoko Takahashi is a successful and prolific Japanese singer. She has been a prolific musician since her first album, Pizzicato, in 1992. Notably, she became famous by singing the openings of various anime shows. She even played a significant role in the 2019 Netflix documentary Enter the Anime, which was about the rise of the genre worldwide.
To most listeners, particularly those in the West, she is known for singing the opening theme to the classic anime Neon Genesis Evangelion, “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis.” The theme and opening are iconic in all anime for capturing the series’s emotional weight and religious symbolism. To this day, the song has sold tens of millions of albums, lives on through karaoke, and has been repurposed into various memes across the web.
The War Against AI
In the past year, generative AI has gone from science fiction to a novel concept to a copyright and even human rights violation. When the tech advanced enough, massive corporations immediately dumped billions into the software, and AI art now floods the web and even art sites. Immediately, artists and actors had their work stolen and melted into meaningless imitations.
The backlash against AI has been uniform across all creatives. The 2023 SAG-AFTRA Strikes were started in response to AI being used in writing, and protests against AI art and voices are routinely started. Sadly, many executives and creatives, such as Niel Druckmann, have supported AI. Hopefully, Yoko Takahashi’s protest and the concert’s apology will serve as a warning to other big corporations trying to replace human creativity.
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