Can AI Make Star Trek Real? | Conversations in Action

How close are we to the future Star Trek imagined? Its ideas about exploration, artificial intelligence, and what it means to be human still shape how we think about the technologies ahead. In Episode 17 of Conversations in Action, John Werner and Dr. Alex Wissner-Gross sit down with Rod Roddenberry for a Star Trek special. They explore Gene Roddenberry’s vision, warp travel, transporters, AI, first contact, and what Data and the Borg reveal about humanity’s relationship with machines. Rod also shares memories of his parents and the story of the original 33 inch Starship Enterprise model. The model will be on display at the MIT Museum in Cambridge from September 30, 2026 through March 28, 2027. MIT Museum exhibition details: https://mitmuseum.mit.edu/announcemen... ====== CHAPTERS 00:00 Gene Roddenberry’s Vision and Star Trek’s Future 18:39 Data, AI and What Makes Us Human 32:05 Warp Drives and Transporters 54:51 Imagining Star Trek in the Age of AI 1:23:51 First Contact and the Future of Exploration 1:42:49 The Borg and the Roddenberry Legacy ====== CONNECT John Werner: LinkedIn:   / johnwerner1   Forbes Column: https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnwerner/ Web: https://www.johnwernerphotography.com/ Alex Wissner-Gross: Web: https://www.alexwg.org/ X: https://x.com/alexwg YouTube:    / @alexwg   LinkedIn:   / alexwg   Email: alexwg@alexwg.org Substack: https://theinnermostloop.substack.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1thtZk5... Threads: https://www.threads.com/@alexwissnerg... Rod Roddenberry: https://roddenberry.com/ https://roddenberryfoundation.org/ Imagination in Action https://imaginationinaction.co LinkedIn   / imagination-in-action   Instagram   / imaginationinaction   ====== #StarTrek #ArtificialIntelligence #ConversationsInAction