Shueisha, the publisher of Shonen Jump, is set to launch an interactive manga recommendation service powered by Artificial Intelligence (A.I.), a concept met with skepticism by manga and anime enthusiasts.
On X (formerly Twitter), the Shonen Jump news hub @WSJ_manga shared news about Shueisha’s upcoming DEAIBOOKS service, aimed at simplifying the process of discovering new manga.
Once users download the app, they will interact with a virtual librarian named Aihara Pitari, who will assist them in guiding through a collection of over 5,000 popular manga titles.
However, despite its straightforward premise, the announcement has sparked discussions among community members regarding potential drawbacks, including programmed biases towards certain titles and unsolicited recommendations appearing in user feeds.
Shueisha is launching ‘DEAIBOOKS’, an ‘AI manga recommendation service’.
The librarian Aihara Pitari (designed by Yokoyari Mengo and voiced by Miku Ito) helps you find new manga to read from over 5000 works.
The service launches on April 25th, 2024.https://t.co/3rhIa9reo5 pic.twitter.com/qZqukwskem
— Shonen Jump News (@WSJ_manga) March 28, 2024
Artificial Intelligence Remains a Controversial Topic in the Anime & Manga Industry
A.I. remains a contentious topic within the anime community due to concerns about reliability and unexpected outcomes. Many express doubts about the A.I.’s ability to deliver appropriate recommendations, fearing it may suggest unsuitable or explicit content.
Users worry about scenarios where innocent requests could lead to inappropriate suggestions, undermining trust in A.I. technology, even when utilized by a reputable publisher like Shueisha.
Interesting as well as being very handy. But am kinda concern in regards to the ai doing its function wrong and it leads to unsavory stuff like from recommending a slice a life manga to an NSFW manga. Things like that. Hope to be proven wrong.
— RPG Phantom (@phantom_rpg) March 28, 2024
Some users also question whether the service will exhibit bias towards specific franchises or genres, potentially overlooking niche categories like boys’ love or girls’ love in favor of more mainstream titles. Critics speculate that the A.I. may prioritize certain recommendations based on predetermined preferences, rather than user preferences.
“i didnt find match for queer love story but here 50 iseakis recommendations instead”
— Caverta (@Cavertiano) March 28, 2024
While skepticism towards A.I. persists, its presence in the entertainment industry continues to grow. Artists and fans alike criticize the use of A.I. to replace traditional illustration jobs in both anime and other artistic fields.
Despite this, companies recognize the potential of A.I. for various applications, including Crunchyroll’s exploration of A.I.-generated subtitles to expedite content delivery.
Shueisha’s DEAIBOOKS service is scheduled to launch in Japan on April 25, with no announced plans for international release.