The Roddenberry Foundation announced on June 18th the launch of the Roddenberry Prize, a new $1 million competition for early-stage ventures using artificial intelligence (AI) to benefit humanity.

Named in honor of Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek, the Prize embodies the Roddenberry philosophy’s promise of a future in which technology and human ingenuity enable everyone—regardless of background—to thrive. By empowering entrepreneurs to dream bigger and innovate valiantly, the Roddenberry Prize seeks to catalyze the development of AI solutions that promote abundance and well-being for all.

“We believe that building a better future requires a spirit of curiosity, a willingness to push boundaries, and the courage to think big,” said Rod Roddenberry, co-founder of the Roddenberry Foundation. “The Prize will provide a significant boost to AI pioneers leading these efforts.”

The Roddenberry Prize is open to early-stage for-profit and nonprofit ventures across all fields that meet the following criteria:

• Ethical
  Ventures use of AI or machine learning will be fair, transparent, respectful of individual rights and privacy, and will explicitly design against bias or discrimination against individuals, communities, or groups.
  
• Early Stage
  Ventures will have successfully raised Seed Rounds through Series A financing.
  
• For Good
  Ventures will leverage AI’s capabilities to foster beneficial outcomes in various domains, including but not limited to healthcare, education, sustainability, and space advancements.
  
• World Changing
  Ventures will be bold, far-reaching, and have a scalable vision to solve global challenges.

AI ventures that meet the criteria above can apply through July 12, 2024. One venture will be awarded a $1 million non-dilutive grant in November 2024.

“As AI becomes more ubiquitous and powerful, we must harness its potential in service of a more prosperous future and towards solving the world’s most critical issues,” said Heidi Roddenberry, board chair and co-founder.

For more information and to apply, please visit the Roddenberry Prize site.