Recently, China's Supreme Court issued an important ruling emphasizing the need to strictly follow the provisions of the Civil Code to promote high-quality economic and social development. This ruling not only highlights the importance of protecting individual rights in the context of rapid technological advancement but also establishes legal boundaries for the reasonable application of artificial intelligence.
In a landmark case, voice actress Ms. Yin discovered that her voice had been used without authorization in online audiobooks and that these recordings had been processed using artificial intelligence technology. Ms. Yin then sued five companies at the Beijing court, including a cultural media company that spread her sound recordings without her consent, an AI software developer, and an operator of a voice dubbing application.
Image source note: Image generated by AI, image authorization service provider Midjourney
After reviewing the case, the court determined that the cultural media company shared Ms. Yin's sound recordings with the software developer without her consent. The latter then used AI technology to replicate her voice and create an AI product with her tonal characteristics and intonation. The court's ruling explicitly stated that both the cultural media company and the AI software developer violated the provisions of the Civil Code regarding voice rights.
According to the Civil Code, the relevant provisions on voice rights are similar to those on portrait rights, prohibiting the distortion, damage, forgery, or unauthorized use of an individual's voice through information technology. The law clearly stipulates that the generation, use, or disclosure of someone's voice must obtain their explicit consent.
The Supreme Court emphasized that this ruling not only protects individual voice rights but is also an important step in regulating the use of artificial intelligence, ensuring that technological progress always prioritizes human needs. Additionally, the Supreme Court disclosed five other cases related to environmental protection and the legitimate rights and interests of private enterprises, demonstrating the judicial department's commitment to strict enforcement of the Civil Code.
Since its implementation in January 2021, the Civil Code has become China's first comprehensive legal code, establishing the foundational framework for managing civil activities in the country. This ruling will undoubtedly further enhance public awareness of individual rights and set clear legal boundaries for future technological development.
