Foundation honoring 'Star Trek' creator offers million-dollar prize to develop AI that's 'used for good'

To boldly go where no man has gone before. That's the mission of the USS Enterprise -- and arguably the aim of a 1-million prize being offered through a foundation created to honor the father of the "Star Trek" franchise. The Roddenberry Foundation -- named for Gene Roddenberry -- announced Tuesday that this year's biennial award would focus on artificial intelligence that benefits humanity. Lior Ipp, chief executive of the foundation, told The Times there's a growing recognition that AI is becoming more ubiquitous and will affect all aspects of our lives. "We are trying to … catalyze folks to think about what AI looks like if it's used for good," Ipp said, "and what it means to use AI responsibly, ethically and toward solving some of the thorny global challenges that exist in the world."