Paramount+ used AI to create a bizarre Star Trek thumbnail showing Kirk in a business suit

Paramount+ Creates Misleading Thumbnail Using AI Integration

Paramount+ appears to have used generative AI to create a thumbnail for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan that features Captain Kirk in attire he never actually wears in the film1

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. The AI-generated image shows William Shatner's iconic character dressed in a business suit and tie, despite Kirk wearing his Starfleet uniform throughout the classic sci-fi movie. The bizarre AI slop thumbnail has sparked backlash from Star Trek fans who view it as another troubling example of AI integration gone wrong in the media industry.

How the AI-Generated Image Was Created

Award-winning artist Ryan Estrada identified the source of the problematic thumbnail and offered an explanation for how it came to exist. According to Estrada, the actual image of Captain Kirk in a suit was pulled from a scene where the character receives a retinal scan to access a computer file1

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. The original frame shows only a close-up of Shatner's face, cutting off at his forehead. Estrada speculates that Paramount+ became attached to this particular shot and used generative AI to fabricate the rest of the body, placing Kirk's head onto a fake torso wearing a business suit. The hair also appears artificial and distorted since the original frame didn't capture that portion of his head1

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Why Captain Kirk in a Suit Makes No Sense

The choice to depict Captain Kirk in business attire is particularly jarring for anyone familiar with the Star Trek franchise. Business suits rarely, if ever, appear in the far-flung future depicted in the series, aside from occasional Holodeck appearances1

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. The Star Trek universe operates without money, making traditional business culture largely irrelevant. Throughout Shatner's decades portraying the character, Kirk never dons a business suit—the closest deviation from his Starfleet uniform was a flannel shirt and jeans during a visit to 1930s Earth1

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. The AI-generated thumbnail thus creates a misleading representation that conflicts with the film's actual content and the broader franchise canon.

Paramount's Push Toward AI Technology

This incident aligns with Paramount owner David Ellison's recent statements about transforming the company through technology. Ellison told CNBC that Paramount is "using technology to transform every single aspect of this business" and aims to become "one of the most technologically capable media companies"1

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. If the Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan thumbnail represents the future of this technological transformation, it suggests a troubling trajectory for streaming content quality. The bizarre thumbnail remains live on the platform, with multiple users confirming its presence when browsing through the sci-fi and fantasy section2

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Broader Implications for the Media Industry

The problem extends beyond Paramount+, as the impending Warner Bros. acquisition is expected to introduce similar AI-driven changes across another major entertainment and streaming giant2

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. Generative AI frequently hallucinates content and confidently presents fabricated material as fact, or performs actions beyond its intended scope2

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. For Star Trek fans already concerned about the franchise's future—following the cancellation of Starfleet Academy and halted production on Strange New Worlds—this AI mishap adds to growing anxieties about how legacy properties are being managed1

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. As streaming platforms increasingly adopt AI tools to personalize and generate content, viewers may need to prepare for more instances of enshitification where quality deteriorates in favor of automated, cost-cutting measures.