In October 2024, Aoni Production and CoeFont announced a new partnership to create a global strategy utilizing AI voice technology. As part of this initiative, 10 voice actors from Aoni Production, including Masako Nozawa (the voice of Son Goku in Dragon Ball), will have their voice data transformed into multilingual AI voices, covering languages like English and Chinese.

This technology will be used in voice assistant software (Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant) and voice navigation tools like medical devices. The goal is to make voice recognition technology more democratic and accessible by feeding it world-famous voices from pop culture. At a time when AI technology is always on the news, either for right or wrong reasons, the partnership comes across as a bold decision with an even greater apostrophe on top.

AI has been frequently misused in Japan and overseas, emphasizing the need for clear and stricter rules. Aoni Productions sees this partnership as a way to "enhance voice potential" while protecting their rights. However, they won't be using AI for acting roles like anime or foreign movie dubs. The initial project will involve 10 voice actors, though the full list is yet to be revealed. So far, only Masako Nozawa (Goku in Dragon Ball) and Banjo Ginga (from Mobile Suit Gundam and Fist of the North Star) have been named.

A sample video has been created using AI voice technology that mimics Masako Nozawa’s voice in both English and Chinese. Watch it here.