When AI meets grief, the results are rarely graceful—and Rod Stewart‘s latest tribute proves technology can’t replace taste. During his 2025 US tour performances of “Forever Young,” Stewart has been projecting an AI-generated video depicting Ozzy Osbourne wandering through a cloud-filled “heaven” with a selfie stick, posing with digital recreations of deceased music icons.
The surreal spectacle features Osbourne alongside figures ranging from Freddie Mercury and Prince to Whitney Houston and Kurt Cobain. But here’s where things get uncomfortable: the tribute also includes XXXTentacion and Michael Jackson—artists whose legacies carry significant controversy and unresolved allegations.
Stewart’s closing comment makes the whole display even more tone-deaf: “Very sad. A lot of those people died ’cause of drugs… I’m still here, though!” This remark transforms what could have been a heartfelt memorial into something that feels more like survivor’s guilt mixed with questionable judgment.
Fan reactions have been swift and brutal. Social media footage shows audiences watching in bewildered silence as this digital afterlife unfolds on stage. Terms like “bizarre,” “unsettling,” and “disrespectful” dominate the conversation, with many questioning whether consent from these artists’ estates was even obtained.
This isn’t music’s first digital memorial controversy—remember the Tupac hologram at Coachella 2012? But that felt revolutionary because it served the music and honored the artist’s actual performance style. Stewart’s AI tribute feels different: less celebration, more exploitation of technology’s ability to animate the dead for entertainment.
The broader implications reach beyond one questionable tribute video. As AI makes digital recreation increasingly accessible, we’re seeing a Wild West approach to posthumous representation. Artist estates may need to become more protective of their clients’ likenesses, while performers might need to consider whether technological capability justifies creative choice.
Stewart’s intentions may have been sincere, but the execution reveals how easily digital innovation can cross the line from tribute to tasteless spectacle. When technology outpaces wisdom, we get selfie sticks in digital heaven—and that says more about our relationship with both mortality and AI than any heartfelt speech could.
The lesson here isn’t about avoiding new technology in live performance. It’s about remembering that just because we can digitally resurrect our heroes doesn’t mean we should—especially not for a photo op.
