Rod Stewart criticised for "insensitive" AI-generated Ozzy Osbourne tribute

Rod Stewart has sparked controversy with his tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne at a gig last Friday, which used generative AI to depict Osbourne taking selfies with various music legends in heaven.

Osbourne died last month at the age of 76. Stewart has reportedly dedicated his 1988 hit 'Forever Young' to the Black Sabbath singer at various shows on his U.S. tour.

Footage from Stewart's August 1 gig at the Ameris Bank Amphitheatre in Georgia revealed new AI-generated background visuals, in which Osbourne is shown posing for photos with the likes of Amy Winehouse, Prince, Kurt Cobain, Freddie Mercury and more.

Rod Stewart pays tribute to Ozzy Osbourne during concert by displaying AI-generated visuals of Ozzy taking selfies with dead celebrities in heaven.

pic.twitter.com/823Ta3cZ87

— Pop Base (@PopBase) August 4, 2025

Videos of the tribute have garnered over 4.6 million views on X. Public response to the visuals has been largely negative.

One X user captioned the video, "We truly are in the end times" while another remarked, "I’ve seen some shitty AI visuals in concerts but this is a new low." Other comments have denounced the tribute as "disrespectful" and "insensitive."

However, some have spoken out in support of the sentiment. Family members of Tupac Shakur and XXXTentacion — both of whom were depicted in the visuals — told TMZ they had no issue with the tribute.

"I’m pretty sure we all love Rod Stewart," said Mopreme Shakur, Tupac's stepbrother.

"I’m not sure about the legalities of it, but I have no problem with him memorialising the greats. Personally, I’m good with it."

Cleopatra Bernard, mother of XXXTentacion, reportedly said she also had no problem with the video and felt honoured her son was impactful enough to be pictured alongside music legends like Osbourne.

At the time of writing, Stewart has yet to comment on the matter.