Ai Kayano is a Japanese voice actress and singer born on September 13, 1987, in Tokyo, Japan. She is currently affiliated with the talent agency Office Osawa, having moved there in 2015 after a period as a freelancer following her time with Pro-Fit from her debut in 2010 until 2014.

Kayano's path to becoming a voice actor was unique. Initially aspiring to a career focused on healing and hospitality, she trained in beauty school and became a licensed aesthetician, working in that field while attending university. Her interest in voice acting was sparked after watching the anime series Aria, which inspired her to pursue a profession that could provide a lasting sense of comfort and healing to others. Subsequently, she enrolled in a voice acting training school, balancing her studies with continued work in the beauty industry.

She made her debut as a voice actor in 2010, with her first regular television anime role being Itsuwa in A Certain Magical Index II. Her career breakthrough came in 2011 when she was cast as Meiko "Menma" Honma, the pivotal character in the critically acclaimed anime series Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day. This performance established her as a leading voice actor and earned her the Best Newcomer Award at the 6th Seiyu Awards in 2012. The same year, she also gained recognition for roles such as Inori Yuzuriha in Guilty Crown and Mashiro Shiina in The Pet Girl of Sakurasou.

Throughout her career, Kayano has demonstrated considerable range, voicing a wide variety of characters. She is known for her soft and soothing natural voice, often portraying gentle or ethereal heroines. However, she also frequently takes on roles with different vocal qualities, from the mature and sharp Utaha Kasumigaoka in Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend to the masochistic crusader Darkness in the popular comedy series KonoSuba. The extensive list of roles provided demonstrates the breadth of her work across numerous series. Some of her notable character portrayals include the silent protagonist Shiro in No Game No Life, the dedicated Alice Zuberg in Sword Art Online: Alicization, the kind Akari Kawamoto in March comes in like a lion, the Sylphiette in Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, and Yuriko Hori in Horimiya. In 2022, she took on the role of Amane Kasai / Cure Finale in the long-running Pretty Cure franchise, Delicious Party♡Precure.

Kayano is known for several recurring collaborations within the industry. She has frequently co-starred with voice actor Yoshitsugu Matsuoka across numerous projects, a pairing often attributed to the casting preferences of sound director Jin Aketagawa. She also maintains a close friendship with fellow voice actor Chinatsu Akasaki; the two worked together at a cafe before either had entered the voice acting profession.

In addition to her voice acting work, Kayano is also a singer and has performed theme songs for several of her series. Since 2016, she has hosted a popular YouTube series titled "Kayanomi" on the Animate Times channel, where she explores and enjoys different varieties of Japanese sake.