AI translated#Podcast

Ani Aslanyan: Something more frightening than a ‘machine uprising’

02.08.2025 ForkLog

Neurointerfaces are moving to the forefront of modern medicine, yet projects in the field face a host of challenges. Ani Aslanyan, founder of the Telegram channel “All about blockchain, the brain and Web 3.0 in Russia and worldwide,” explains what is holding back the surgery of the future and where blockchain fits in.

ForkLog (FL): Which areas of the digital economy is Russia focused on in 2025?

Ani Aslanyan (A.A.): Science in all its breadth—from biology to creativity—must be the foundation. Without it, there will be no breakthrough. Specifically, I single out several critically important technological areas.

First, artificial intelligence—not abstractly, but its deep development and deployment across all sectors: biology, physics, mathematics, chemistry. Second, the creation of new materials—without competitive home-grown “hardware” there will be neither a strong domestic AI nor other technologies.

Third, space—today it does not exist in isolation but is tightly interwoven with AI and quantum technologies. Fourth, neurointerfaces—the Steve Jobs smartphone era has passed; input interfaces are outdated; the future lies in direct interaction with the brain. And fifth, biotechnology—I am sure this sector awaits its ChatGPT moment, an explosive rise in public interest.

But the main condition for all this is the psychological readiness of society and policymakers to accept the new. Those stuck in the past and living off its successes cannot create the future.

FL: Is there a place for cryptocurrencies among these breakthrough technologies?

A.A.: Cryptocurrencies are not just a technology; they are a new financial ecosystem—self-evident and not up for debate. However, the key problem in Russia is resistance from regulators, above all the central bank.

Central bank head Elvira Nabiullina has repeatedly stated a reluctance to lose control of money flows to decentralised systems with unclear jurisdiction. Hence the tightening of rules, including fines for paying for goods and services online with cryptocurrency, is only natural.

FL: Earlier you wrote that only 10% of officials understand blockchain. Has that changed?

A.A.: I may even have overestimated back then. Today I believe no more than 0.1% of officials understand blockchain. And that “understanding” boils down to just one thing: how to transfer or withdraw their savings into cryptocurrency.

Even that they do with the help of assistants. An official’s psychology is such that they do not seek to understand complex technologies. They have different priorities and a different mindset. They operate by the principle: “Technology is complicated; you just have to find someone who knows and will do it.”

FL: How realistic is the OKX forecast of mass adoption of stablecoins and the tokenisation of 10% of global GDP in the coming years?

A.A.: The OKX forecast is not new—it fully echoes the analysis of the giant BlackRock, which manages the capital of the world’s strongest players. BlackRock has long and systematically written about the inevitability of asset tokenisation (from gold to government bonds) and a radical reshaping of the entire financial landscape.

These forecasts are credible because BlackRock sees real trends and capital flows. This is being realised by creating regulatory conditions in key jurisdictions such as the United States—where venture funds like a16z lobby their interests and whose staff write strategies for the administration—Hong Kong, and especially the Gulf states, which see in the crypto industry a quick economic lever of influence.

A parallel boom in deep-tech investment, such as in neurotechnology (more than $2.3 billion in 2024), is further confirmation.

FL: Are there promising neurointerface projects in Russia?

A.A.: Frankly, there are no projects on a par with leading American or European companies in Russia right now. The only notable exception is Neiry. That is thanks to Mikhail Lebedev. He is a key figure in the industry, present at the origins of Neuralink. He created the world’s first bidirectional neurointerface (where the brain gives a command to the computer and the computer sends signals back to the brain).

Globally, 2025 is a turning point: the neurointerface industry is coming out of the “box” and entering a phase of active clinical trials. The investment boom is colossal: Elon Musk’s Neuralink raised about $650 million this year. And the startup Science, founded in 2021 by Max Hodak, over the same period received $104 million and in some regulatory aspects has overtaken its competitor. This indicates investors’ belief in the technology’s imminent relevance, backed by the US decision to allow the first commercial company to sell invasive neurointerfaces to patients.

FL: What in AI delights you—and what worries you?

A.A.: I oppose hype about “enslavement by AI” or the imminent replacement of half of all jobs. Today’s AI simply hasn’t reached that level. I admire Google’s strategy via DeepMind. Unlike OpenAI, they focus on generative AI—Google understands that the path to true strong AI (AGI) lies through understanding how the brain works.

They are investing huge resources in neurobiology, mapping connectomes (complete wiring diagrams) even of model organisms such as the fly or mouse—titanic scientific work that almost no one else pursues at such scale.

As for concerns, the real risk is not a “machine uprising” but handing control of socially significant systems (for example, in the public sector) to dim-witted people who will blindly follow AI’s recommendations without critical reflection. But such a scenario requires years of deployment. Otherwise, fears are often inflated by those who profit from them: either by promising mountains of gold or by selling “studies of threats.” The key is critical thinking and understanding the speaker’s motives.

FL: Is there a place for meme tokens in scientific research?

A.A.: I’m against meme tokens and don’t understand them. These are not the assets to put money into. If you want to reach a specific target audience, you need to use the appropriate tools.

However, meme coins are a tool for a very young audience that today simply cannot invest in science. Large firms that support deep tech or scientific labs do not look at such things. Besides, launching a meme token requires outlays and can harm a project’s reputation because of crash risks.