William Shatner faces backlash for using AI ahead of new album

William Shatner recently faced backlash for using an AI-generated art cover on his new music album.

The 93-year-old actor was under scrutiny after unveiling the cover of his latest music album Where Will the Animals Sleep.

Best known for playing Captain James T. Kirk, in the original Star Trek TV series, the actor confirmed that the poster was AI-generated, leaving no room for questions.

This came after Shatner dropped the cover image on Sunday, April 21, featuring a digital illustration of the actor surrounded by children of diverse ethnicities alongside animals, including elephants and birds.

Fans didn’t hesitate to initiate the conversation on X, formerly known as Twitter, sparking fury over the actor’s latest post.

Referencing the 2023 SAG-AFTRA, one fan wrote: "Didn’t actors and writers just strike against Ai?"

Further adding, "Artists are humans too who like their craft and don’t want Ai taking over."

Meanwhile, another user chimed in, adding: "All AI are trained on work the tech guys didn’t pay & continue to not pay for, violating copyrights & trademarks."

Responding to a critic’s comment, Shatner replied: "Could you please point out the copyright violations? if not, then [zipper mouth emoji]."