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POP CULTURE

2025 August 8, 9

Level: High

Too Good To Be True

by David Morton

How virtual celebrities are changing entertainment

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She sings, dances and interacts with her sea of adoring fans as her electric blue hair glows under the stage lights. But there’s something different about this pop star — she doesn’t physically exist. The digital superstar dancing on stage is Hatsune Miku, a virtual celebrity, and she’s part of a growing trend that transcends the boundary between the physical and digital worlds.

  Virtual celebrities, also known as (AKA) virtual influencers, are digital characters that are created using a blend of technologies including computer-generated images (CGI) and artificial intelligence (AI). They are designed to look and behave like real people and are able to sing, dance, model clothing, endorse products, engage with fans on social media and even advocate for causes. While some people embrace this new trend, others reject it for fear that interactions with digital personalities might lack credibility.

  What makes 16-year-old Hatsune Miku special is that she is a collaboration between human creativity and technology and “sings” over 100,000 songs created by individual fans. Her voice is a product of a complex voice synthesizer called Vocaloid, and her performances are entirely digital. She has even performed with major artists like Lady Gaga and Pharrell Williams. Miku’s live concerts, where holograms or LED screens are used to bring her to “life,” have sold out in cities around the world.