Just when you thought AI couldn’t get weirder and more problematic, a new horror appears.
Featured VideoSince Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Obsboure’s death just a few weeks ago, fellow singer Rod Stewart has apparently added his likeness to his “Forever Young” performance in honor of his memory.
However, many concertgoers have expressed disgust and feeling “uneasy” about the tribute.
Rod Stewart’s controversial “Forever Young” performance
During the segment of “Forever Young”, Stewart has been performing the song backed by an AI-generated video of Ozzy Osbourne and other deceased celebrities taking selfies together. Some of the stars include Prince, 2Pac, XXXTentacion, and Michael Jackson.
AdvertisementAt a stop on his One Last Time tour in Charlotte, North Carolina, Stewart presented an AI-generated video of Osbourne alongside Jimi Hendrix and David Bowie.
According to Rolling Stone, a review of the show says that Stewart made the following comment regarding the AI montage: “Very sad, a lot of those people died cause of drugs. I’m still here, though!”
With the increasing popularity of AI-generated videos, people may feel compelled to create videos of deceased loved ones as a way to commemorate their memories and process their grief.
AdvertisementAlthough this may seem harmless, using a deceased person’s likeness to create a video against their will raises questions of exploitation and misuse of ethical implications.
Ozzy Osbourne isn’t the only celebrity to have an AI-generated video following their death. In 2024, X user Min Choi, who is an “AI educator”, created AI-generated videos that depicted a living celebrity and a deceased one.
For instance, Dolly Parton and Elvis Presley were seen cuddling in one video, and then Princess Diana was seen taking photos with his sons, Prince Harry and Prince William.
AdvertisementLike the Stewart situation, this also raised controversy due to creating false narratives and misappropriating a deceased person’s legacy.
Social media reactions are in agreement
Many people are unhappy with the videos of Osbourne featuring other deceased celebrities. Most users pointed out that Stewart should’ve asked the family privately to use such videos.
Advertisement“This would’ve made me cry if I loved Ozzy, y’all don’t understand family and feelings, fr,” one user wrote.
“We live in the worst timeline,” a second user wrote.
“Most distasteful thing I’ve seen,” a third user wrote.
AdvertisementOne person pointed out the way Kurt Cobain was depicted, writing, “The Kurt one is the worst one, omg, they did him so dirty.”
Another user made a joke, writing, “Beautiful and tasteful use of AI. Can’t wait to make a montage of my granny meeting Juice WRLD.”
A third user made it known that Rod Stewart is brain-rot. “This just in…Rod Stewart is braindead.”
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