Ozzy Osbourne to Return as an AI-Powered Digital Avatar: ‘This Is a Living Performance’
The avatar will "have conversations with fans and move, speak, and respond as Ozzy would," according to one of the companies behind it.
Ozzy Osbourne performs at Moscow Music Peace Festival 1989 on August 12 and 13 at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.
Nearly a year after his death, Ozzy Osbourne is set to return — as an AI-powered avatar.
The news was revealed at Licensing Expo in Las Vegas on Wednesday (May 20), when Osbourne’s son, Jack Osbourne, announced the project during a discussion about the future of Ozzy’s brand that also included Ozzy’s widow, Sharon Osbourne.
“It’s kind of scary how it’s really very accurate,” said Jack at the event, according to a recap from Licensing Expo organizer License Global. “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.”
The Ozzy avatar is the result of a partnership between Hyperreal — which describes itself as a “digital human technology company” that uses patented “Digital DNA” technology to create digital avatars — and Proto Hologram, described as a “hologram and AI spatial compute platform in entertainment, healthcare, education, finance, retail and more.”
According to Hyperreal, its Digital DNA technology will allow Ozzy’s avatar to “have conversations with fans and move, speak, and respond as Ozzy would.” The company tells Billboard the Ozzy avatar will begin appearing in Proto Luma units — essentially life-sized, interactive touchscreens — in the U.S. and U.K. beginning late summer of 2026.
“Every element of this avatar was built exclusively from authenticated, approved source material: curated, consented, and controlled by the people who love him most,” said Hyperreal CEO Remington Scott in a statement sent to 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 honor 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!” added David Nussbaum, founder of Proto Hologram. “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.”
This isn’t the first time Hyperreal has created a digital avatar of a celebrity. In the past, the company has debuted avatars of notable figures including The Notorious B.I.G., soccer star Lionel Messi and Marvel Comics creator Stan Lee.
