Sharon Osbourne has spoken out in defense of the recently announced Ozzy Osbourne digital AI avatar, pushing back against online criticism in an interview.
Osbourne addressed accusations that the project was financially motivated. She made clear that Ozzy was fully aware of and supportive of the plans.
“I’ve seen such shit online about it being a ‘money grab.’ Why would I need to do that? It’s not as if I’m using Ozzy to sell f*cking weedkiller or beer,” she said. “Ozzy loved the idea. We’ve been talking about it for 10 years.”
She went on to defend the broader reasoning behind using the technology to keep Ozzy’s legacy visible to audiences.
“Ozzy has this great body of work that took a lifetime to do – why shouldn’t he still be seen? Why should we have to watch the same videos over and over again, when there’s technology available that means we don’t have to?” she continued. “If you don’t like it, don’t go see it. I’m not at people’s houses with a fucking gun, going, ‘Give me your money!'”
The comments come after the Ozzy Osbourne digital AI avatar announcement drew backlash from some fans and critics online.
Sharon and Jack Osbourne first announced the avatar at Licensing Expo 2026 in Las Vegas in May. They introduced the project in partnership with tech companies Hyperreal and Proto Hologram. The avatar is designed to allow fans to interact with a digital version of Ozzy in real time, using his own voice and responses drawn from authenticated material tied to his life and career.
Jack Osbourne has been vocal about the technical approach behind the project. He described the system as a “closed AI” with no internet connection, meaning it operates solely from verified phrases and material sourced directly from Ozzy’s history. That design choice reflects the family’s intent to keep the avatar grounded in who Ozzy actually was, rather than allowing it to generate unpredictable or unverified responses.
The avatar is expected to be made available in both the U.S. and the U.K., with a launch anticipated as soon as this summer. The Osbourne family has framed the initiative as a preservation effort — a way to ensure that Ozzy’s decades-long body of work remains accessible for future generations, rather than fading from public view.
