In this episode of Mind the Machine, Cheryl sits down with Patrick Leung, CTO of Faro Health and former engineering lead at Google Duplex. Patrick shares how his team is using AI to transform clinical trial design, dramatically reducing patient burden, trial costs, and delays. He reflects on lessons from building early conversational AI at Google, why clinical trials still operate like it’s the 1990s, and how Faro’s agentic AI systems are reshaping the future of drug development. They explore the real challenges of applying AI in regulated industries, how to earn trust in life sciences, why true AGI is farther away than headlines suggest, and why the future belongs to adaptable builders—not fearful bystanders.

00:10 – Welcome to Mind the Machine

02:04 – Meet Patrick: From Google to Clinical Trials

04:54 – Why Clinical Trial Design Is Still Broken

08:12 – A Better Way Than Word Docs: Faro’s AI-Powered System

11:04 – Large Language Models for Clinical Writing

13:20 – What Are AI Agents, Really?

16:08 – Privacy Concerns and “Double Agents” in Pharma

19:57 – The Real Stakes of AI in Regulated Industries

23:17 – Why Domain-Specific AI Still Wins

25:20 – Pharma’s AI FOMO and the Pressure to Innovate

30:06 – Why This Is a Golden Era for AI Entrepreneurs

33:02 – Making AI Accessible to Non-Tech Experts

35:06 – The Rise of the Three-Person Startup

37:16 – Using AI for Meditation Retreats and Daily Life

40:04 – Patrick’s Hope for AI and Human Potential

41:53 – Open Source vs. Closed Models: What’s Best for Humanity?

44:06 – Are We Actually Close to AGI?

52:47 – Who Would Patrick Invite to Dinner?

55:16 – Where to Find Patrick and Faro Health

Where to find Patrick Lund and Faro Health:

Website: https://farohealth.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/puiwah/

Follow Cheryl:

Website: https://findgood.tech

Instagram: instagram.com/findgood.tech

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ckgoodman/