Sharon Osbourne is not here for the hate. The matriarch of rock's most famous family fired back at critics this week who've accused the Osbournes of turning late rocker Ozzy into a cash cow with their new AI avatar project.
Speaking on The Osbournes podcast, Sharon was blunt about shutting down the money-grab narrative. "I'm sorry for those people who think it's about the money," she said. "I don't want your fucking money. I don't need your fucking money. I'm doing very well."
The family announced in May that they partnered with Hyperreal and Proto Hologram to create an AI-powered version of the Prince of Darkness that can speak with fans. It will be available in Proto Luma units across the U.K. and U.S. this summer.
Jack Osbourne joined his mum in defending the technology, saying it is not a cheap ChatGPT knockoff. "This isn't just like hooking up an image of my dad to ChatGPT," he explained. "This is some high-level technology that we're gonna be working with, and it's gonna feel very real."
Sharon insists the project honours Ozzy's legacy and his own wishes. "My husband would say to me over and over, 'After I go, how long do you think I'll be remembered?'" she revealed. "He is still alive. He's left us a body of work that will never die."
Jack revealed he discussed the concept with his dad before Ozzy passed last year. "We actually talked about it before he passed," Jack said. "I know he would be into this."
Fans have already raised concerns about the technology, with some worried about control and safety. Jack addressed the Terminator comparisons during a livestream Q&A, joking: "What the fuck do you think this is? Terminator? You think this is going to go sentient and the next thing you know Ozzy is going to launch the nukes?"
The family's position is that if they don't do it, someone else will. The messaging that this is not about pretending he's still alive may be their strongest defence yet.
