Announcing MTAConf 2024: The Glory of God Is Intelligence
Carl Youngblood co-founded the MTA in 2006 and has served as its President and CEO since 2021. He is engaged with the Association’s efforts to explore the intersection of Mormon theology and transhumanist philosophy. Among the many initiatives that Carl has been involved with, he has designed and built the Association's current website, which unifies all prior content in a single location using inspiring visuals and animations. ¶ Youngblood’s professional career spans more than two decades of full-stack software development at the intersection of Silicon Slopes and Silicon Valley. He was an early employee at Omniture (acquired by Adobe), a founding engineering leader at Divvy (a Utah-based unicorn startup), co-founder of Blockscale LLC (a blockchain services firm eventually contracted into Coinbase), and Senior Solutions Architect for Amazon Managed Blockchain at AWS. His technical fluency ranges from scalable web architecture to blockchain infrastructure—the kind of deep engineering experience that grounds his theological speculation in working knowledge of the systems he writes about. ¶ Under his leadership, the Association has developed its mission of promoting abundant human flourishing through the compassionate use of science and technology, fostering dialogue across secular and religious audiences and arguing that each has something essential to learn from the other. His writing, collected on his blog From the Depths, spans over a decade of conference presentations and theological essays: meditations on participatory resurrection, the alignment of artificial intelligence read through the Grand Council narrative, intelligence as eternal and multifaceted, and religion as social technology. He writes, as a colleague has observed, with warmth and accessibility on questions of momentous practical consequence—how to navigate faith crisis without losing faith’s power, how to think about resurrection as something we actively participate in rather than passively receive. ¶ Youngblood’s distinctive contribution to transhumanism is the integration of serious technical expertise with serious theological reflection. He embodies the Mormon transhumanist conviction that scientific and spiritual development are not parallel tracks but a single path—that the learning required to build better systems is continuous with the exaltation Mormon theology envisions, and that human ingenuity, rightly oriented, is itself a divine imperative.
Provo, UT – The Association is proud to announce its highly anticipated annual conference, MTAConf 2024, slated for April 13th at the Marriott Hotel and Convention Center in Provo, Utah. Themed “The Glory of God Is Intelligence,” the conference is poised to delve deep into the transformative impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning on society, ethics, and the future of humanity.
Civilization advances by extending the number of important operations which we can perform without thinking of them. (Alfred North Whitehead)
In an era where AI’s capabilities extend far beyond academic discourse, touching upon the practical realms of everyday life, MTAConf 2024 aims to challenge and inspire its attendees. From natural language processing to robotics and beyond, the conference will cover a spectrum of topics at the forefront of technological innovation and philosophical inquiry.
A Diverse Lineup of Visionaries and Thought Leaders
MTAConf 2024 boasts an impressive roster of speakers, including Benjamin Peters, a renowned author and media scholar, and Irina Rish, a distinguished Canada CIFAR AI Chair. They, along with founders, educators, researchers, and executives from various fields, will share their insights, fostering a multidisciplinary dialogue on AI’s role in society.
Notably, the conference will feature discussions on AI’s ethical implications, its relationship with human intelligence, and the intriguing intersection of technology with Mormon theology. Carl Youngblood, MTA President, and other association leaders will explore the theological dimensions of AI, drawing from the profound assertion by Mormon founder Joseph Smith that “The glory of God is intelligence.”
The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth. (D&C 93:36)
Engaging with the Apocalyptic Moment
As humanity stands on the brink of what many consider an “apocalyptic moment” due to the rapid advancement of AI technologies, MTAConf 2024 serves as a critical platform for exploring how these developments align with and challenge religious and philosophical perspectives. The conference will not only address the technical aspects of AI but also its broader implications on human agency, ethics, and the potential for achieving a form of godlike superintelligence.
Event Details and Participation
MTAConf 2024 will run from 9 am to 6 pm, followed by an optional social dinner, providing ample opportunity for networking, debate, and collaborative exploration of the themes discussed. The event is open to both members of the MTA and the public, encouraging a wide range of perspectives and discussions.
Early registration is recommended, with special group discount rates available at the Provo Marriott Hotel for attendees who book before March 13th. Additionally, the Association offers lodging assistance with local members for out-of-town guests, ensuring a welcoming and inclusive experience for all participants. Register at mtaconf.org.
A Call to Action
As the conference approaches, the MTA invites members and interested individuals to engage with the critical questions of our time. MTAConf 2024 is not just an event; it‘s a call to action for thinkers, believers, and innovators to come together and shape the future at the intersection of technology, religion, and human evolution.
For more information and to register for MTAConf 2024, visit the official conference website. Join us in Provo this April for a day of insightful discussions, groundbreaking ideas, and a shared vision for a future where technology and spirituality converge in the pursuit of enhanced human potential and understanding.