AI-powered avatar of Ozzy Osbourne launching in Birmingham, as announced by Sharon and Jack Osbourne, amid backlash from fans
A life-sized Ozzy Osbourne AI-powered avatar is set to launch in Birmingham, as announced by Sharon and Jack Osbourne, but they are facing some backlash from concerned fans
The Black Sabbath legend’s wife loved ones confirmed on May 20 that the star is set to be recreated an AI-powered avatar, one year after his death.
The duo announced this at Licensing Expo, an event for brands in Las Vegas in the US last week. They announced that they had partnered with tech companies Hyperreal and Proto Hologram to create the Ozzy Osbourne avatar, and it’s set to be ‘so tasteful’.
“It’s kind of scary how it’s really very accurate,” Jack Osbourne, 40, said. “He will exist digitally as himself for as long as we have computers.
“Technology has come such a long way to where it’s almost drag and drop. You could shoot a template for a commercial … literally prompt what you want Digital Ozzy to do in that commercial and you just drop it in. It’s that simple now.”
Sharon, 73, added: “We’re going to take it all around the world. People can talk to him and he will talk back. Elvis died 50 years ago and everybody knows Elvis. I just want that for Ozzy.”
The move caused backlash with fans, but Jack has spoken out in a livestream on his YouTube channel claiming that his father would have been into the idea.
“Here’s the thing, it’s gonna be so tasteful what we’re doing. It’s not gonna be f**king lame,” Jack said. “It’s really complex what we’re doing. This isn’t just like hooking up an image of my dad to ChatGPT. This is some high-level technology that we’re gonna be working with, and it’s gonna feel very real, and it’s kind of wild how it will be utilised.”
He claimed he had discussed the idea of this kind of avatar with his father before his death, and the Black Sabbath legend was ‘into’ it.
“It’s really cool and it’s something that I think my dad would be into,” he said. “We actually talked about it before he passed, about doing something like this … I know he would be into this.”
The singer died in July 2025 after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s years earlier. Just before his death he fulfilled his dreams of performing one more time with his Black Sabbath band mates as they lit up Birmingham’s Villa Park with their Back To The Beginning gig.
When asked about his farewell performance, the music icon commented: “It’s a goodbye as far as my live performances go, and what a way to go out.”
Hyperreal claim its technology will allow Ozzy’s avatar to “have conversations with fans and move, speak, and respond as Ozzy would.”
Hyperreal CEO Remington Scott told Billboard : ”This is a living performance, not a rendering; and it draws from nothing that wasn’t given willingly. We have the enthusiastic participation of Ozzy’s family, and that changes everything about what this can be.”
“It’s an honour to be trusted to bring one of true gods of rock back to the world to continue to connect with fans — thank you Sharon and Jack!”
David Nussbaum, founder of Proto Hologram also commented: “We wouldn’t do it if we didn’t know both of our company’s technologies will create an experience that truly extends Ozzy’s presence, his heart and soul, into the future.”
Hyperreal has created digital avatars of several celebrities including the Notorious B.I.G., soccer star Lionel Messi and Marvel Comics creator Stan Lee.
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