Brother Spirit: The Zen Monk Behind Silicon Valley's Latest AI Innovation

Deep within the tech-driven ethos of Silicon Valley, a remarkable partnership has been forged, thanks in part to an unexpected figure: Brother Spirit, a Zen Buddhist monk practicing at the French monastic community of Plum Village. With a serene approach that eschews competition, Brother Spirit has influenced the collaboration between Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and the founders of a pioneering tech company, Humane, which is redefining how humans interact with artificial intelligence through their groundbreaking 'Ai Pin'.

A Monastic Link to Innovation

Brother Spirit, alias Brother Pháp Linh, holds a crucial place in the story behind Humane's innovative 'Ai Pin'. The device, an AI-powered screenless wearable aimed at reducing smartphone dependency, symbolizes the culmination of extensive collaboration between Humane's founders—Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno, a married couple and former Apple employees—and Marc Benioff. This partnership was reportedly facilitated by Brother Spirit, who suggested that Chaudhri and Bongiorno present their concepts, including a women's health device and the pin, to Benioff, whom he had befriended.

Benioff, a revered name in Silicon Valley and also an investors in Humane, recognized the potential of the Ai Pin, envisaging it as the cornerstone of 'a massive company'. Interestingly, Plum Village, renowned as Europe's largest Buddhist monastery and home to Brother Spirit, shares ties with Salesforce. Benioff has not only hosted Plum Village monks at his own home but also taken inspiration from them to incorporate meditation spaces into Salesforce Towers and has welcomed them to Dreamforce, Salesforce's significant tech conference, to share meditation practices.

Eschewing the Usual Competitive Drive

Known as a 'composer-monk', with a penchant for sharing thoughtful posts on social media, Brother Spirit is no stranger to composing chants for his monastery or expressing strong views on climate change. In contrast to the tech industry's stark competitive nature, Brother Spirit harbors a belief that true innovation is not fueled by rivalry but rather by a harmonious blend of technological progress and ancient wisdom.

In his dialogue with executive coach CK Lin, Brother Spirit voiced concerns about the ‘extractive, consumerist, capitalist society’ rampant in today's world, driven by competition between businesses. Instead, he proposes a novel approach that merges technology with deep-rooted spiritual values, urging a reconsideration of the individualistic culture that dominates the corporate landscape and advocating for an interconnected sense of existence—'We are each other,' he professes, underscoring our intrinsic connection.

partnership, innovation, technology