Dorothy Deasy

This presentation invites technologists, philanthropists, and community organizers to partner with the Mormon Transhumanist Association in shaping the social and cultural context emerging from artificial intelligence. The speaker argues that AI algorithms could be designed to facilitate collaboration rather than competition, and warns that without intervention, technological advancement will exponentially increase existing societal flaws. Drawing on the MTA’s emphasis on kindness, compassion, and charity as transformational practices of nonviolence, the talk calls for the best innovators to work in the social sphere—addressing economic inequality, bias in AI systems, the digital divide, and the need for human-centered design that values subjective experience over mere profit.

Dorothy Deasy argues that the perceived threats of transhumanism—often compared to Nazi eugenics—stem not from technology itself but from ideologies of total domination and the commercialization of humanity. Drawing on Hannah Arendt’s analysis of totalitarianism, she contends that spiritual transhumanism, grounded in nonviolence, human rights, and co-creation with God, can bring about the promises of the kingdom. Deasy calls for ecosystem and symbiotic thinking across all institutions, urging that transfiguration of society must be intentional and communal rather than individualistic.

Dorothy Deasy argues that spirituality—the ongoing incorporation of transcendent insights into daily life—remains essential in a transhumanist age. While neuroscience reveals the biological processes underlying mystical experiences, understanding the machinery does not negate what those experiences mean. She positions spiritual transhumanism as a "third way" between fundamentalist rejection of science and atheistic creation without God. Deasy raises pressing bioethical concerns: humanized animals with human neurons, artificial intelligence that must reflect diverse moral perspectives, and the danger of enhancements creating a biological caste system. Whether transhumanism becomes a movement of the elite or a transfiguration that uplifts all humanity depends on whether it embraces the golden rule—the concept of interconnectedness at the heart of all faiths. "God is relevant," she concludes, "because God remains as God always was: the whole, the entirety, the unity of creation."

Dorothy Deasy interprets the Lucan Transfiguration account as an "action parable" with profound implications for transhumanism. She argues that transfiguration should be understood not merely as physical enhancement but as spiritual and communal transformation—a call to reshape society toward justice, inclusiveness, and compassion. As biotechnologies advance, Deasy contends that religious and humanist transhumanists bear a responsibility to ensure these developments benefit all people, guarding against exploitation and advocating for ethical standards that protect the marginalized and the voiceless.