Donny Osmond has been in the entertainment industry for decades, but he’s not shy about embracing new technology.
The 66-year-old singer told Fox News Digital that artificial intelligence (AI) could benefit recording artists, noting that there is often fear when new technology is first introduced.
“Back in the ’80s, everyone was afraid of Digital Audio Workstations (DAWS), whether it was Pro Tools or not (I use Cubase),” Osmond recalls.
Donny Osmond shared his thoughts on artificial intelligence. (Timothy Hiatt/Getty Images)
He continued: “And that makes sense, because there are so many terrible singers and producers and artists being produced who think they have musical talent, but have a computer do all the work for them.”
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“But if you look at Bruno Mars, Harry Styles, Dua Lipa or even the Justin Bieber songs that I’ve been listening to, DAWS is everywhere. If you use it as a tool, it is a tool,” Osmond added.
“AI is a tool, not a replacement. So I love the promise of AI. I love what it can do for me as a producer, as an artist, as a tool. That’s it.”
WATCH: Donny Osmond explains why he sees AI as “a tool, not a replacement”
The Donny & Marie alum has previously spoken about his enthusiasm for incorporating new technology into his performances.
During a 2023 appearance on the “Just Trish” podcast, Osmond explained some of the special effects he incorporated into his shows ahead of his “Direct From Vegas Tour,” including glowing beach-ball-like spheres that were tossed into the audience.
I’m very excited about the future of AI and love what it can do for me as a producer, as an artist and as a tool.
“And I actually program all of this on the lighting console,” he said, “and we have 24 spheres throughout the arena. We have some dancers as well. And the spheres change color depending on the choreography. The dancers spin and when they let go they change color, and when they let go they change color.”
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“It’s so cool,” he added. “You know, this has never been done before. I’m the first person to be able to do this. Because I think it’s all down to my brain. I mean, this is the way my brain thinks.”
The former teen idol was primarily home-schooled, but said he explored his love of technology during his first semester of college, which he attended before dropping out to focus on a career in showbiz.
“It’s my passion,” he said. “I did one semester of electronics in college and got honors, but I’m a big nerd when it comes to electronics and stuff like that. If I wasn’t a singer, I’d probably work for Apple or some computer company.”
“I’m quite the geek when it comes to electronics,” Donny Osmond said. (Ben Haider/Getty Images)
While speaking on the podcast, Osmond also said he plans to use AI in his residency at Harrah’s Las Vegas.
“I’m going to be incorporating AI into my shows,” he said. “I won’t say too much more, but great things are going to happen here at Harrah’s next year.”
“I wish I could tell you, but I think you’d be amazed,” Osmond told host Trisha Paytas. “You can only imagine what AI technology can do.”
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Osmond reflected on the success of his Las Vegas residency, which is now in its fourth year and has been extended through 2025.
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“It’s called the entertainment capital of the world,” he said of Las Vegas. “They say, ‘If you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere,’ but this is the epicenter. Everyone in the world is trying to copy Las Vegas, but there’s only one Las Vegas. And to be able to have my own show on the Strip, arguably one of the best locations on the Strip, is just awesome.”
The singer said he plans to incorporate AI into his permanent show at Harrah’s Las Vegas. (Photo by Dennis Trascello/Getty Images, Caesars Entertainment)
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Osmond told Fox News Digital that Harrah’s Theatre, which seats about 600 people, is perfect for his show because of its “intimate atmosphere.”
“The show I’ve put together is perfect for that audience because there’s really no bad seat in the venue,” he says. “I have a section in the show called Request Corner, where I play all 65 albums on a giant screen behind me and the audience can pick any song they want from any album I’ve ever made. Of course, the songs change every night because the audience controls the show for about 20 minutes. It’s one of my favorite parts of the show.”
Osmond, who began singing at the age of five, has now had a career in the entertainment industry that spans more than six decades.
WATCH: Donny Osmond reveals one of his favorite parts of his Las Vegas show
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Osmond said he believes reform is key to his success.
“You have to keep reinventing yourself, you always have to reach new heights, climb new mountains,” he said. “It’s hard work, especially when you go from being a teenager to being an adult, even a mature entertainer. But what’s unique about my show in Las Vegas is that I get to take the audience through 60 years of show business history in 90 minutes.”
Osmond reflected on the struggles of transitioning from teen star to respected adult performer.
“When you have a lot of success as a teenager, there are a lot of obstacles,” he explained, “but then I was on the show Donny & Marie and I was given this really cute image. It was a really powerful, really successful show. But it was kind of hard to get over the aftermath of that, because it pigeonholed me into a certain thing.”
Donny Osmond and his sister Marie Osmond performed together in Las Vegas for 11 years. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
But Osmond said he has noticed that “time tends to keep things in the past.”
The “Why?” singer said his Las Vegas show also included a tribute to his time on the variety show “Donny & Marie.”
“It’s a tearjerker movie, and people come up to me all the time and say, ‘Oh, this movie took me back to my youth, my innocence,’ but I’m also giving them everything else too. … So those hard times fade with time, and you embrace it.”
“Puppy Love. There was a time in my life in the ’80s when I never wanted to hear that song again. But then I grew up and realized, ‘You know what, when I was 14, this song was amazing.’ And it was. This song made me who I am today. And now that it’s number two in the setlist, I just listen to it with reverence.”
VIDEO: Donny Osmond says the ‘Donny & Marie’ show “forced” him into a “cute” image for a while in his career
Osmond and his sister Marie, 64, hosted the variety show “Donny & Marie” from 1976 to 1979. Most recently, the pair had a Las Vegas residency together for 11 years before ending in 2019. However, Osmond told Fox News Digital that he has no plans to return to Las Vegas with Marie.
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“Marie and I don’t do shows together anymore. She does her tour and I do my own tour,” he explained. “But I really enjoyed working with her. Sure, we got on each other’s nerves sometimes, but that was the fun part. Sibling rivalry. But the professionalism between the two of us was second to none. When something happened onstage, we could look at each other and we instinctively knew what to do and what to do. So I miss those days. Those were great times.”
Fox News Digital’s Bree Stimson contributed to this report.
