Photo Credit : Getty Images
Jack Osbourne has responded to criticism surrounding plans to create an AI-powered avatar of his late father, Ozzy Osbourne, insisting the project will be handled "tastefully" and with the family's full support.
The announcement was made by Jack and Sharon Osbourne during Licensing Expo 2026 in Las Vegas, where they revealed a partnership with technology companies Hyperreal and Proto Hologram.
The project aims to create a lifelike digital version of Ozzy using his voice, image, movement and what the family described as his "digital DNA."
Fans reacted with mixed emotions online, with some questioning whether the rocker would have supported the idea. Addressing the backlash during a YouTube livestream on May 22, Jack defended the project and stressed that it goes far beyond basic artificial intelligence tools.
"Here's the thing, it's gonna be so tasteful what we're doing. It's not gonna be f---ing 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."
He added that the technology involved is "high-level" and said the final product would feel "very real."
According to the Osbourne family, the avatar will allow fans to interact directly with a digital version of Ozzy. Sharon explained that people will be able to ask questions and receive responses in the singer's own voice. "People can talk to him and he will talk back," she said during the event.
Jack also revealed that the idea had been discussed with his father before his death in July 2025 at the age of 76. "It's something that I think my dad would be into," he explained. "We actually talked about it before he passed about doing something like this."
Hyperreal CEO Remington Scott said the avatar was created only from approved material provided by the family. "This is a living performance, not a rendering," Scott said, adding that everything used was "curated, consented, and controlled by the people who love him most."
The digital Ozzy is expected to begin appearing in interactive installations across the United States and United Kingdom later this year.
