Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino predicts that brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) will become mainstream consumer products within the next 20 years.
Ardoino’s statement comes after a breakthrough by Blackrock Neurotech, a portfolio company of Tether, where the firm successfully restored speech in a patient who had lost the ability to communicate through its brain implant.
BCI
On August 14, the New England Journal of Medicine published a report detailing how Blackrock Neurotech’s text-to-speech brain implant enabled an Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) patient to speak again.
Ardoino observed that this breakthrough could be just the beginning, with BCIs potentially providing solutions for millions worldwide suffering from paralysis, lost functions, and neurological disorders hindering basic abilities like walking, seeing, hearing, or talking.
BCIs are advanced devices that allow users to control applications or devices using only their thoughts. Ardoino’s interest in this field aligns with Tether’s majority stake in Blackrock Neurotech, a company competing directly with Elon Musk‘s Neuralink to bring these technologies to the public.
However, Ardoino emphasized that the technology must be open and safe for public use, stating:
“We need to ensure that this technology will be as open, safe, and privacy-respecting as possible. Almost like a brain-operative system.”
Additionally, this development is part of Tether’s broader EVO strategy, focusing on pioneering projects that redefine and empower humans in the future.
Decentralized AI
Moreover, the company is making significant progress in its AI development, with Ardoino revealing that they aim to challenge the dominance of technology giants like Microsoft and Amazon.
According to him, AI technology is becoming highly politicized, and an independent player like Tether will be crucial for the industry’s growth.
