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<\/div>\n<\/div>\nOzzy Osbourne remembered by metal fans in US, UK<\/p>\n
Fans in the U.K. and the U.S. honor Ozzy Osbourne, who played an crucial part in pioneering heavy metal with Black Sabbath.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Ozzy Osbourne’s death continues to loom even nearly a year later<\/a>, but fans of the heavy metal icon may get a chance to see him again. This time, as an AI-powered hologram.<\/p>\n Osbourne’s family announced plans to create a lifelike AI version of the Black Sabbath frontman, who died on July 22, 2025, at the age of 76, capable of answering fan questions in real time using his own voice and personality.<\/p>\n Sharon Osbourne and son Jack Osbourne unveiled the project during a panel discussion at the 2026 Licensing Expo<\/a> in Las Vegas, where they discussed the future of the Osbourne brand and preserving Ozzy Osbourne\u2019s legacy for future generations.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can ask Ozzy anything, and he will answer you in his own voice – and the answers will be what Ozzy would have said,\u201d Sharon Osbourne said during the discussion, per License Global<\/a> and BBC<\/a>. \u201cWe\u2019re going to take it all around the world. People can talk to him and he will talk back.\u201d<\/p>\n AI-Ozzy Osbourne is being developed through a partnership with tech companies Hyperreal and Proto Hologram. The project will use what Jack Osbourne described as his father\u2019s \u201cdigital DNA,\u201d including his voice, image and movement.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s kind of scary how it\u2019s really very accurate,\u201d Jack Osbourne said during the expo panel. \u201cHe will exist digitally as himself for as long as we have computers.\u201d<\/p>\n The hologram is expected to launch later this year in the United States and the United Kingdom through interactive touchscreens placed at undisclosed locations, according to Forbes<\/a>. The AI avatar will be capable of responding individually to fans, appearing to make eye contact and even adjusting its behavior depending on the audience, The Guardian reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s not just a chatbot, he can truly read the room,\u201d Proto Hologram founder David Nussbaum told Forbes<\/a>. \u201cHe might call out a Black Sabbath tattoo on a fan\u2019s arm across the room.\u201d<\/p>\n Hyperreal CEO Remington Scott said the technology was built exclusively using authenticated material provided by the Osbourne family.<\/p>\n \u201cNothing is scraped from the internet, nothing is approximated and nothing is generated from data that wasn\u2019t specifically and willingly given,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n USA TODAY contacted Hyperreal and Proto Hologram for additional comment about the AI-powered Ozzy Osbourne hologram project and whether there are plans for future uses beyond fan interactions.<\/p>\n The announcement has already sparked debate online, with some fans questioning whether digitally recreating deceased celebrities crosses a line.<\/p>\n Critics and social media users have chimed in on the project, particularly amid discussion about potentially using AI-Ozzy Osbourne in commercials and licensing deals.<\/p>\n “They\u2019re still trying squeeze money out of this man,” one X user wrote<\/a>. “Let him rest.” Another user wrote<\/a>: “Wow! A year hasn’t even passed since Ozzy’s passing and they are already trying to commercialized and profit from his memory.”<\/p>\n Jack Osbourne pushed back against the criticism during a recent YouTube livestream<\/a>, insisting the project would authentically honor his father.<\/p>\n \u201cThis isn\u2019t just like hooking up an image of my dad to ChatGPT,\u201d Osbourne said. \u201cIt\u2019s really complex what we\u2019re doing.\u201d<\/p>\n He also said Ozzy Osbourne had discussed similar technology before his death.<\/p>\n \u201cI know he would be into this,\u201d Jack Osbourne added.<\/p>\nAI hologram aims to keep Ozzy Osbourne’s legacy alive<\/h2>\n
Fans react to Ozzy Osbourne hologram plans<\/h2>\n
Ozzy Osbourne\u2019s enduring impact on music and pop culture<\/h2>\n