Biology, Buddhism and AI: Placing Mindfulness Principles at the Heart of Innovation | Bill Duane

Bill Duane has been navigating complex situations since he was a child, but facing his father’s death as an adult created an experience that he didn’t have an answer for. Trying to come to terms with his situation, Bill realized that what he needed wasn’t more safety – it was more meaning. Through his exploration of diverse disciplines like Buddhism and AI, Bill is now able to help other companies and individuals create more meaningful work through reflection, innovation, and growth.

Bill Duane is the principal at Bill Duane and Associates, a consulting firm focused on innovation that serves notable clients such as Google, Amazon, and The White House.

In this episode, Dart and Bill discuss:
- Blending disciplines like Buddhism and AI to foster innovation
- Bill’s intellectual and spiritual history
- The relationship between technology and humanity
- How to change a company’s standard model of thinking
- Spaces where limitless growth is ineffective
- Optimizing work for the medium and long-term
- Utilizing love and care to problem-solve at work
- And other topics…

Bill Duane is the principal at Bill Duane and Associates, a consulting firm focused on innovation. With 12 years of experience at Google and a decade in consulting, Bill specializes in navigating change and complexity across industries like tech, healthcare, finance, and media. His clients include Google, Amazon, and The White House, among others.

With studies in neuroscience, Bill integrates AI, team effectiveness, and mindfulness to drive innovative work approaches and collaboration. He shares his expertise through his AI workshops at Stanford’s Hasso Plattner Institute of Design and as the Director of Strategy and Implementation at the Center for the Study of Apparent Selves, where he works on applied AI ethics. Bill also holds a Research Fellowship at Kathmandu University as part of this effort.

Resources mentioned:
“The Real Problem with the OpenAI Drama,” by Bill Duane: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/real-problem-open-ai-drama-bill-duane-hbwzc/
“The Techno-Optimist Manifesto,” by Marc Andreessen: https://a16z.com/the-techno-optimist-manifesto/
“Can Buddhism help humanity (and AI) navigate the AI revolution?” by the Center for the Study of Apparent Selves: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zRPql4lkkMKg4J9ThZmbG40rT2ojDaC4/view
Care as a Driver of Intelligence in Humans and AI: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtta_5rGsHU&t=7s
159 Doctor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlgWasFmmDo
Technological Approach to Mind Everywhere: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JC4FOzAuHF4
Bioelectricity: the Software of the Body: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncuLWpwfRyc
How evolution creates problem-solving machines: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vR3UWx-G9Ks&t=255s
“Technological Approach to Mind Everywhere,” by Michael Levin: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnsys.2022.768201/full

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Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what’s most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.