Ozzy to be resurrected as AI hologram โ RT Entertainment
British rock legend Ozzy Osbourne, the charismatic Black Sabbath frontman who helped define heavy metal for generations of fans, is set to make an AI-powered digital comeback, as his family has unveiled plans to create an interactive hologram of the late singer.
The self-styled โPrince of Darknessโ died in July of 2025 at the age of 76 after a years-long battle with Parkinsonโs disease and other health problems. His death came just weeks after a farewell reunion concert in his hometown of Birmingham that raised millions for charity.
The project was announced by Osbourneโs wife Sharon and son Jack during a panel at Licensing Expo in Las Vegas. The endeavor will move forward in partnership with tech companies Hyperreal and Proto Hologram, which specialize in AI-generated digital replicas and immersive entertainment experiences.
The announcement quickly triggered backlash online, with critics questioning the growing use of AI to recreate dead celebrities, while urging the family to โlet the man rest.โ
Responding to the criticism during a YouTube Q&A on Tuesday, Jack Osbourne said the avatar was going to be โtasteful,โ asserting that his father โwould be into this.โ The rock icons son also noted that the technology involved was far more advanced than simply โhooking up an image of my dad to ChatGPT.โ
According to the family, the life-sized digital Ozzy will be capable of interacting with fans in real time using AI trained on the singerโs voice, appearance, and archive footage. The technology could eventually be used in films, advertisement, and other media projects.
โWeโre going to take it all around the world. People can talk to him, and he will talk back,โ Sharon Osbourne said.
Osbourne joins a growing list of late entertainers digitally recreated through AI and hologram technology, including Elvis Presley and Tupac Shakur. Debate over such technology has increasingly drawn comparisons to dystopian scenarios explored in the British sci-fi series โBlack Mirrorโ, which explored AI-generated recreations of human personalities.
This isnโt the first controversy surrounding AI tributes that has emerged since Osbourneโs death. Last year, a Rod Stewart concert featuring an AI-generated video of the singer alongside other late music stars drew criticism online, with some viewers calling it โcreepyโ and โtasteless.โ
Interest in Osbourneโs legacy has remained strong. Sony Pictures is developing a biopic for release in 2028, while an exhibition dedicated to his life and career is running in Birmingham through September.
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