Sony CEO Hiroki Totoki Says Audiences Will Pay for Anime’s Human Craft, Not AI-Generated Copycat Content

Sony CEO Hiroki Totoki believes anime’s growing popularity will depend on the creativity and craftsmanship behind Japanese animation, even as artificial intelligence makes it easier to produce anime-style content. Speaking to The New York Times in a report published on November 8, 2026, Totoki argued that audiences are willing to pay for the emotional connection and originality that human creators bring to entertainment. “You can create copycat and similar content,” Totoki said, “but originality and authenticity are ultimately most important.”…