Donny Osmond uses AI to sing with his 14-year-old self

Some stars spend their careers protecting the version of themselves that first made them famous. Donny Osmond took the opposite route. He built a career evolving with the times and then moved on.

Today, at his residency at Harrah’s in Las Vegas, the legendary artist performs a duet with a digital version of his 14-year-old self, the same teenage Donny who captured hearts decades ago with hits like “Puppy Love.”

The moment seems almost surreal on stage. However, it also reflects something deeper about Osmond’s career. Instead of resisting technology or relying solely on nostalgia, he has embraced new tools that allow him to reinterpret his own story in front of a live audience. That willingness to experiment with technology has helped him remain relevant for more than six decades in entertainment.

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Why Donny Osmond still connects with audiences

There’s a reason Donny Osmond remains important to multiple generations. Older fans know the teen idol who broke out with songs like “Puppy Love.” Others know him from “Donny & Marie.” Theater fans remember “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” Younger audiences may know him as the singing voice of Captain Shang in Disney’s “Mulan.” Then there are the reality TV fans who saw him win “Dancing With the Stars” or see him again on “The Masked Singer.”

That range gives him something rare in entertainment. It does not belong to a single era. It belongs to several. And instead of resisting it, he leans into it. Technology now also plays a role in that regard.

How Donny Osmond brought his younger self back to the stage

Osmond explained the idea when he sat down with me for my “Beyond Connected” podcast. The concept actually began decades ago, when he began imagining what future technology could make possible.

“Even as a teenager, I thought that one day there would be technology where John Wayne could be Obi-Wan Kenobi. And I was right,” Osmond said.

That long-standing fascination finally led him to a simple question.

“Why can’t I sing ‘Puppy Love’ with my 14-year-old self on stage?” Osmond wondered. The answer involved combining various forms of digital production, AI modeling and set design.

“The face is actually my 14-year-old face taken from photographs, the voice is my voice from interviews when I was 14, and the body is my 14-year-old grandson,” Osmond said. The result is a performance where two versions of Donny Osmond seem to share the stage at the same time.

It is not a hologram; It’s something called a hollow box.

Many people assume that the younger Donny is a hologram. Osmond said that is not the case.

“It’s not a projection, like a laser projection. It’s not like a hologram. It’s a totally different technology,” Osmond explained.

Instead, the illusion is based on a piece of stage technology known as a hollow box. The structure is integrated into the set and designed to look like an old-fashioned recording booth on stage. Within that space, advanced visual systems combine CGI, AI modeling and set lighting to create the digital image of the younger Donny so that he appears full-sized and three-dimensional.

The effect combines archival photographs, computer-generated animations and voice samples from Osmond’s early interviews to recreate his teenage appearance. His grandson provides the physical body movement used to animate the performance. Standing just inches from the illusion, Osmond is able to look directly at his younger self as he sings. From the audience’s perspective, it appears as if the two artists are sharing the stage face to face in real time.

Even after performing the sequence night after night, Osmond said the experience still surprises him.

“I do it every night and it never gets old. It’s like looking in the mirror 54 years ago,” Osmond said. For longtime fans, the moment connects the teen star they remember with the seasoned artist he is today. The visual contrast tells the story of a career that has spanned generations.

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Donny Osmond has always been fascinated with technology.

One of the most surprising parts of my conversation with Donny is that he doesn’t seem like a celebrity swept up in modern technology. He sounds like the kid who would have loved to be left in a creative lab.

“Ever since I was a teenager, I’ve always been kind of a geek or nerd with technical things,” Osmond said.

That curiosity still drives him today. Study the tools behind your stage production and experiment with new ways to keep the show fresh. In many ways, technology has become another creative instrument.

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When I asked Donny which apps he uses the most, the answer revealed a different side to the artist.

“I would have to say Google Sheets because I’ve created algorithms,” Osmond said.

You enjoy creating detailed spreadsheets and analyzing data. His phone of choice is a foldable device that allows him to easily view larger spreadsheets. Osmond also embraces connected security technology. He said he uses smart cameras and alarm systems to monitor his homes, locker rooms and other properties so he always knows what is happening around him.

For someone known around the world as a singer and performer, it’s an unexpectedly technical hobby.

Donny Osmond sees both the promises and risks of AI

Artificial intelligence has sparked debate in music, film and the media. Some artists worry about misuse or losing control of their voice and image. Osmond has a balanced view.

“Any technology put in the wrong hands can turn into dire things, but look at the good it can do,” Osmond said.

From medicine to entertainment, he believes AI has the potential to drive major breakthroughs.

“What a great time to be alive with today’s technology. It’s amazing to see everything happening in real time,” Osmond said. At the same time, he believes that society should remain committed to technological progress rather than fearing it.

“If we run away from technology, other countries and other people will be far ahead of us,” Osmond said.

Speaking of technology, Osmond says his music may have already made it to space. During our conversation, he said that one of his songs was supposedly used to test the sound system in a spaceship capsule.

“They actually used my song ‘Start Again’ from my last album to test the sound system in one of the pods,” Osmond said.

He then mentioned another story he had heard many times over the years.

“When they went to the moon on the Apollo missions, and we went to the moon, by the way, they took a tape of music. And on that music is Andy Williams singing ‘Aquarius’. I’m singing backing vocals on that song. They left the tape on the moon. My voice is sitting on the moon.”

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Social networks would have changed Donny Osmond’s early years

Osmond also reflected on how today’s digital platforms might have changed his early career.

“Can you imagine what I could have done during the ‘Puppy Love’ years with social media?” Osmond said.

At the height of his teen idol fame, fans lined up outside television studios and concerts hoping to catch a glimpse of him. Nowadays, that type of connection usually occurs through social platforms and digital communities. It is one more example of how technology has reshaped the entertainment industry.

A career that continues to evolve

Donny Osmond first rose to fame performing with his brothers as part of the Osmonds. The family group became a television sensation in the late 1960s and early 1970s with appearances on shows such as “The Andy Williams Show.” Soon after, her sister Marie rose to fame and the two became household names with their hit variety series “Donny & Marie.” Decades later, the brothers reunited for a highly successful residency in Las Vegas that lasted more than a decade.

Over the years, Osmond has released dozens of albums, starred in television shows, performed on Broadway and built a long career in Las Vegas. Today he headlines his own residency at Harrah’s Las Vegas, where he performs several nights a week. The program was extended until May 2026, a testament to its continued popularity with the public. Many younger fans now discover Osmond through social media clips, streaming platforms and live performances in Las Vegas.

Technology now also plays a role in how you connect with fans. Osmond keeps fans connected through the Donny app (donnyosmondapp.com), which brings together news, videos, tour updates and a timeline of his career in one place. Fans can also find tickets, show information and updates at Donny.comthe official website he referenced during our interview. By combining nostalgia with modern technology, Osmond continues to reach fans of all generations while taking his show to new territories.

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Kurt’s Key Takeaways

Donny Osmond’s career is proof that curiosity can keep an artist moving forward. Instead of resisting change, continue to explore the technology that is shaping our world today. From AI theater performances to data-driven applications and smart home systems, Osmond approaches technology with the same enthusiasm he brings to acting. Be sure to listen to or watch the “Beyond Connected” conversation with Donny Osmond to learn more about how he combines entertainment and technology.

If you could use AI to learn a m version younger than yourself, what would you ask them? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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