The virtual diva

Fans came to watch Hatsune Miku perform; but she is not a real person

- By ICA HONTIVEROS-CHENG

Fans flocked to the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City last November to see Hatsune Miku perform. Glow sticks lit up the darkened arena while concert attendees of all ages sang with Hatsune Miku. Many fans came dressed as her in various versions.

The concert unfolded like any other concert — a performer on stage and fans swaying and singing with the music. But one thing was different— Hatsune Miku was just a singing and dancing image projected on a screen. She is not real.

The first sound of the future

Developed by Crypton Future Media, Hatsune Miku is a singing voice synthesizer or a Vocaloid. Her voice is modeled after voice actress Saki Fujita, who provided vocal samples at a controlled tone and pitch, through the Vocaloid software, users can program Miku to sing.

To be clear, Hatsune Miku is not a product of AI (Artificial Intelligence) as users still need to input lyrics and melodies for her to sing. Human intervention is required to operate Miku, unlike an AI product which can perceive the environment, learn, and then adapt appropriate actions or solutions.