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William Shatner addresses cancer hoax: ‘This is the downside of AI’

The 95-year old called out a Facebook group he claims is using AI to create “horrible fake news stories” about him

William Shatner addresses cancer hoax: ‘This is the downside of AI’ — William Shatner played Captain Kirk in the original Star Trek (Joe Giddens/PA)

Fri, 03 Apr, 2026 - 08:42

Lauren Del Fabbro

Star Trek actor William Shatner says fake stories claiming he has stage four brain cancer are not true, and warned that artificial intelligence (AI) “can be used as a weapon in the wrong hands”.

The 95-year old, known for portraying Captain Kirk in the sci-fi franchise, called out a Facebook group he claims is using AI to create “horrible fake news stories” about him.

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