Webinar: The Intersection of Faith and Technology

Discover the transformative impact of technology and AI on faith-based applications

Edward Tsai is a Managing Partner of Alumni Ventures’ AI Fund. Edward has over 15 years of investment and strategy experience in the U.S. and China, including a successful track record with investments including Cruise Automation ($1 billion acquisition by GM), Life360 (IPO), Palantir (IPO), and Brave Software as well as deep operating experience at technology and cybersecurity companies 360 and Qianxin, and service on the limited partner advisory committees at Cendana Capital and Ten Eleven Ventures.

In this enlightening webinar, hear from special guest Bobby Gruenwald, the visionary founder of YouVersion. He delves into the transformative impact of technology and AI on faith-based applications, particularly focusing on the past, present, and future of faith-based apps like YouVersion, which boasts an impressive 700 million downloads and in more than 2,000 languages across the YouVersion family of apps.

Gruenwald also discusses the importance of leveraging technology to make the Bible more accessible and relevant to people’s lives. He highlights the role of AI in enhancing the user experience and personalizing content, and emphasizes the need for ethical use of AI in delivering scripture.

Finally, we review the origin story and key areas of growth for YouVersion, explore the forefront of how technology and AI is being used at scale at YouVersion, and discuss potential future applications of AI in spiritual contexts such as Bible translation and generative AI content production. YouVersion is exploring the use of synthetic voices and other AI technologies to improve the accessibility and understanding of the Bible.

Watch an on-demand recording or read a full transcript.

About Our Panelist

Bobby Gruenewald is passionate about exploring new ideas and finding practical ways to leverage them for the global Church. He has helped pioneer the missional use of technology that allows Life.Church to reach people in every country on the planet. In addition to serving as the CEO of YouVersion, he oversees the Digital Technology, Church to Church, Life.Church Online, and Communications teams. Bobby and his wife, Melissa, live in Edmond, Oklahoma with their four children.

Alumni Ventures offers accredited individuals access to professional-grade venture capital, a key asset class missing from the portfolios of many sophisticated investors. Since 2014, AV has raised $1.3+ billion from 10,000+ investors and backed 1,300+ unique portfolio companies. AV is a top 20 venture firm in North America according to CB Insights, as well as the #1 most active venture firm in the U.S., and #3 most active in the world, according to PitchBook’s 2022 and 2023 rankings. AV has won awards from Inc. Magazine, Fast Company, Benzinga, and the US FinTech Awards.