Proto Hologram, a Van Nuys technology firm, partnered with the Osbourne family to create an AI avatar of the late Ozzy Osbourne. The digital version will speak and interact with fans in real time, sparking backlash from fans who call the project disrespectful.
*Proto Hologram, a Van Nuys technology firm, is at the center of a global controversy after partnering with the family of Ozzy Osbourne* to create an artificial intelligence avatar of the late Black Sabbath frontman. The digital version of Osbourne will be able to speak, move, and respond to fans in real time. The project has drawn both praise from the family and sharp criticism from fans who call it disrespectful.
"It's kind of scary how it's really very accurate," Jack Osbourne said at the announcement. "He will exist digitally as himself for as long as we have computers."
Sharon Osbourne and Jack Osbourne announced the partnership on May 20 at Licensing Expo 2026 in Las Vegas. The project is a collaboration between Hyperreal, a digital content studio, and Proto Hologram, which operates out of Van Nuys.
David Nussbaum, founder of Proto Hologram, told Rolling Stone that Sharon visited the company's Van Nuys headquarters before agreeing to the deal. She saw multiple projects firsthand during the visit, including a digital avatar of Stan Lee that held live conversations with fans at LA Comic-Con in 2025.
"She visited Proto Hologram's headquarters in Van Nuys, where she saw multiple projects firsthand," Nussbaum said. "She's even become a hologram herself. So she wasn't walking in cold. She understood the capability before she committed; that matters to us, because informed trust is the only kind worth having."
The avatar uses what Hyperreal calls "Digital DNA" technology to capture Osbourne's voice, image, and movement. The result is a life-sized interactive display that operates in real time rather than playing pre-recorded clips on a loop.
Remington Scott, CEO of Hyperreal, described the system to Billboard as "a living performance, not a rendering." He said the avatar draws exclusively from authenticated source material that was curated and consented to by Osbourne's family.
"We have the enthusiastic participation of Ozzy's family, and that changes everything about what this can be," Scott said.
The digital Osbourne will debut in Proto Luma units, which are interactive display systems that combine holographic presentation with touchscreen and conversational AI. The rollout is expected to begin in the United Kingdom and the United States later this summer, according to Rolling Stone.
The announcement has triggered a wave of criticism from fans of Osbourne and Black Sabbath. Many have called the project distasteful and raised concerns about using Osbourne's likeness in future advertising and brand partnerships.
Jack Osbourne responded to the backlash during a YouTube livestream on Saturday. He defended the project as complex and high-level technology, not a simple chatbot.
"Here's the thing, it's gonna be so tasteful what we're doing. It's not gonna be fucking lame," Jack said. "This isn't just like hooking up an image of my dad to ChatGPT. This is some high-level technology that we're gonna be working with, and it's gonna feel very real."
Jack also claimed the family discussed similar ideas with Osbourne before his death in July 2025 at age 76. He said he believed his father would have been interested in the concept.
Ozzy Osbourne is not the first entertainer to receive a digital recreation after death. The music industry has already produced hologram performances of Tupac Shakur, Roy Orbison, Maria Callas, and Michael Jackson.
A touring hologram of Amy Winehouse was announced in 2018, seven years after her death. The project faced similar criticism from fans who argued the artist should be allowed to rest. It was later canceled due to "unique challenges and sensitivities," according to The Guardian.
Hyperreal previously created the Stan Lee avatar, which debuted at LA Comic-Con 2025. Video from the event showed the digital Lee interacting with attendees, discussing Spider-Man as his favorite superhero, and explaining the origins of the Sandman character.
Sharon Osbourne framed the project as a way to preserve her husband's legacy for future generations.
"Elvis died 50 years ago, and everybody knows Elvis," Sharon said at the Licensing Expo panel. "I just want that for Ozzy."
Scott echoed the sentiment, saying the goal is to capture something beyond a photograph or recording.
"The reason people love Ozzy isn't just the music; it's that he gave himself to his fans in a way where they genuinely felt they knew him," Scott said. "That's rare. That's worth preserving. The goal is that a kid who discovers Ozzy ten years from now gets to experience that same connection, not a museum piece, but Ozzy as Ozzy."
The debate over whether AI avatars of deceased celebrities honor or exploit their legacy is only beginning. For now, a Van Nuys tech company sits at the center of it.
This article was generated with AI assistance.