Rod Stewart keeps astonishing his fans with his unexpected choices. At his concert in Charlotte, North Carolina, on July 29, Stewart dedicated “Forever Young” to his longtime companion Ozzy Osbourne and presented an AI-generated video. This video included the late Osbourne utilizing a selfie stick to capture images with other iconic deceased musicians, such as Tina Turner, Michael Jackson, Prince, Freddie Mercury, Tupac, Kurt Cobain, XXXTentacion, and Amy Winehouse.

One concert attendee labeled it a “new low” for the use of AI. Another individual on X remarked that Stewart’s decision to feature an AI-generated video was odd, considering his friendship and previous performances with Osbourne—he might have opted for real footage instead.

Now, you could think, “At some point, one must take accountability for their own choices.” This is something my mom might express if I returned home from a Stewart concert voicing my discontent about his peculiar actions.

Stewart is recognized for his unorthodox perspectives. For instance, he rejected a lucrative opportunity in Saudi Arabia in 2023 due to the nation’s treatment of women and LGBTQ+ individuals. Nevertheless, in 2025, he openly backed far-right politician Nigel Farage, notorious for his controversial anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-choice positions. Stewart is filled with contradictions. Thus, when he declared in 2023 that AI could lead to the “destruction of mankind as we know it,” it was perhaps unavoidable that he would utilize AI for a distinctive tribute in 2025.