Sharon Osbourne has revealed plans to immortalise her late husband Ozzy Osbourne as an AI-powered avatar, allowing fans to interact with a digital version of the rock legend. The Prince of Darkness died in July last year at the age of 76, shortly after performing his final concert with Black Sabbath at Villa Park in Birmingham.
AI Avatar Details and Capabilities
The avatar, created in collaboration with tech company Hyperreal and hologram firm Proto Hologram, can walk, talk, and perform Ozzy's hits. Sharon told BBC Radio WM: "I've seen the tests that they've done of Ozzy and you can see every pore on his face, his beard's coming through, it's that detailed." She added that it could do "absolutely everything" and might appear at concerts, in films, or adverts.
Sharon explained: "You can go and talk to Ozzy and ask him anything you want and he will talk back to you, you can have your photo taken with Ozzy. Ask him anything you want, and he can talk to you. He can tell the audience he loves them. He can just be Ozzy. After you get over the tears, it's brilliant."
Family Involvement and Tasteful Approach
Son Jack Osbourne insisted on his YouTube channel that the avatar would be "tasteful" and not "lame." He revealed he discussed the idea with Ozzy before his passing: "It's something that I think my dad would be into because we actually talked about it before he passed about doing something like this." Jack added: "This is some high-level technology that we're going to be working with and it's going to feel very real and it's kind of wild how it will be utilised."
Defending Against Criticism
The project has faced accusations of being a "cash grab," but Sharon fiercely defended it on The Osbournes podcast: "I don’t want your f****ng money. I don’t need your f****ng money." She compared the technology to the evolution from propellers to jet planes, saying: "Technology moves on, and I’m sorry for those people." She added that her husband would have supported the project, recalling his concerns about being forgotten.
Jack echoed this: "Either we do it or someone else is gonna do it, and for me, it’s not about pretending he’s still alive. It’s making sure he’s never forgotten." The avatar is set to debut in Birmingham, with plans to take it worldwide.
