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| ▲ This photo provided by Para Entertainment shows Big Ocean, a K-pop idol group composed of members with hearing impairment, participating in the "AI for Good" Global Summit hosted by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in Geneva, Switzerland, from July 9 to 10 (local time), 2025. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, July 11 (Yonhap) -- Big Ocean, a K-pop idol group composed of members with hearing impairment, participated in the "AI for Good" Global Summit hosted by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in Geneva, Switzerland, from July 9 to 10 (local time), their agency Parastar Entertainment said Friday.
"AI for Good" is an international platform where governments, organizations, academia and industry leaders gather to share applications of artificial intelligence and explore collaborations on global challenges and technical standards.
At the summit, Big Ocean held a talk session with Parastar CEO Cha Haeri and showcased their new unit track "BUCKET HAT" through a music video and live performance.
For the new release, the group used Supertone’s AI-powered "Controllable Voice Conversion" (CVC) technology, which separates vocal elements such as timbre, pronunciation, pitch, and accent. By replacing the timbre with that of a fluent English guide vocalist, the group was able to present a song that sounds as if sung by native speakers.
Big Ocean also performed their debut track "Light" during the session titled "AI Pioneering K-Pop with Big Ocean."
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| ▲ This photo provided by Para Entertainment shows Big Ocean, a K-pop idol group composed of members with hearing impairment. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
The ITU described the performance as "a song utilizing AI-generated vocals based on deep learning, recognized globally for its innovation," and added, "The debut track carries special significance in challenging the social perception that people who are deaf cannot become singers."
CEO Cha commented, "Big Ocean is engaging in diverse content experiments to ensure AI technology can serve humanity," adding that the group plans to pursue further collaborations with cutting-edge technologies.
Following the Geneva event, Big Ocean is scheduled to hold tour concerts in cities including Warsaw, Copenhagen, Lille, New York, and Atlanta.
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