Ozzy Osbourne is the latest dead legend being pulled into the AI avatar era. Sharon and Jack Osbourne announced the project at Licensing Expo 2026 in Las Vegas, where they revealed a partnership with Hyperreal and Proto Hologram to create a lifelike digital version of the late Black Sabbath frontman.
Ozzy died in July 2025 at the age of 76, just weeks after his final live performance with Black Sabbath in Birmingham.
What’s the purpose of AI Ozzy?
The project is being described as an AI-powered avatar rather than a simple hologram clip. This avatar will use Ozzy’s voice, image, and movement, and is meant to interact with fans in real time. Sharon Osbourne said fans will be able to ask the digital version of Ozzy questions and receive answers in his voice.
The rollout is expected to begin in Proto Luma units in the UK and the US later this summer. Those are life-size interactive display systems that combine holographic-style presentation with touchscreen and conversational AI features.
Why fans already hate it
However, the announcement hasn’t gone as smoothly as the family would’ve expected. Some fans have called the project disrespectful and raised concerns about using Ozzy’s likeness for future brand work and advertisements. Jack Osbourne responded to the backlash during a livestream, saying the project would be “so tasteful” and arguing that it was far more advanced than simply attaching an image of his father to a chatbot.
Jack also claimed the family had discussed similar ideas with Ozzy before his death, adding that he believed his father would have been into the concept. With AI recreations of dead celebrities becoming one of the entertainment industry’s most uncomfortable new battlegrounds, loyal fans aren’t happy with this news.
Ozzy is far from the first major figure to receive this treatment. The music industry has already seen digital recreations of artists such as Tupac Shakur, Michael Jackson, and many others. Hyperreal has also worked on an interactive AI avatar of Stan Lee.
