Xprize founder Peter Diamandis launches new contest to manifest a new Star Trek
Source: TechCrunch
Overview
As any “Star Trek” fan will tell you, the reason this sci‑fi world has endured for so long is because it illustrates an optimistic future, with technology starring as a power for good.
Famed XPRIZE founder, author, tech investor, motivational speaker, and longevity guru Peter Diamandis has just launched a new $3.5 million Future Vision XPRIZE to encourage more optimistic sci‑fi worlds on our screens.
“‘Star Trek’ offered a hopeful vision of the future, right? It was humans/humanity and technology in collaboration.” – Peter Diamandis, speaking to TechCrunch
He credits his whole career to watching Star Trek as a child.
The Problem with Modern Sci‑Fi
Diamandis says today’s sci‑fi movies and TV shows are largely fixated on calamity:
“Every science‑fiction movie I was seeing painted this dystopian vision of the future… killer robots, dystopian AIs. It’s Black Mirror, Terminator, Ex Machina.”
He argues that such narratives make it hard for people to envision a positive future.
The Future Vision XPRIZE
The contest aims to encourage film creators to tell stories about how good things can be in a technological future. Diamandis believes that if we see that, we will build it.
- Location & Dates: San Francisco, CA – October 13‑15, 2026 (TechCrunch event)
- Submission window: March 9 – August 15, 2026
- First‑round requirement: a three‑minute trailer (expected to flood YouTube)
- Second‑round: selected trailers receive funding to produce a 10‑minute short
Prize Structure
| Award | Amount |
|---|---|
| Production funding for a feature film | $2.5 million |
| Cash prize for the short film | $100,000 |
| Additional crowdfunding opportunity (Republic Film) | $5‑10 million potential budget |
AI, Longevity, and Democratized Tools
Diamandis notes that the most powerful tools are now free and available to everyone, citing consumer AI models from Google, OpenAI, Anthropic, and others. He highlights longevity research as an example:
“AI is enabling us to understand what’s going on in our 40 trillion human cells.”
(He is a co‑founder of longevity health‑tech Fountain Life – see the TechCrunch article.)
While encouraging contestants to use AI tools, Diamandis warns against “AI slop”:
“I don’t want an AI‑generated script and an AI‑generated film without the human. The humanity of it all is really important.”
The XPRIZE is conducted with help from the 100 ZEROS initiative, a partnership between Google and Range Media Partners that provides filmmakers with Google tools such as the video generation model Veo and the video creation tool Flow.
Sponsors and Donors
Key supporters
- Rod Roddenberry (son of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry)
- Marc Benioff, billionaire CEO of Salesforce
- Cathie Wood, founder and CEO of ARK Invest
- Google (through the 100 ZEROS initiative)
Additional donors
- Andreessen Horowitz – Ben Horowitz
- Ripple co‑founder – Jed McCaleb
- Actor‑producer – Seth Green
Members of Diamandis’s Abundance community of CEOs have also contributed, with about 15 members providing nearly half of the prize money.
Vision for the Future
Diamandis hopes the contest becomes a recurring event, turning dread into what he calls an “exponential mindset.” He defines this as:
“Having agency, where you feel like the future is not happening to you, but happening for you.”
By showcasing optimistic, technology‑driven stories, the Future Vision XPRIZE aims to inspire both creators and audiences to imagine—and ultimately build—a brighter tomorrow.