I got laid off after working in social media content moderation—and it made me wonder: where is the hopeful Star Trek future technology promised us?

In Star Trek, automation and replicators free people from scarcity so they can learn, create, explore, and improve humanity. In real life, AI and automation can eliminate exhausting work, but workers can lose their income long before society shares the benefits.

JP uses Star Trek: First Contact and The Next Generation episode “The Neutral Zone” to explore layoffs, artificial intelligence, automation, the future of work, universal basic needs, and the difference between being freed from work and being cut off from a paycheck.

In this episode:

• Why technological progress does not automatically create a generous society

• What Star Trek gets right about work, purpose, dign ...