Page 46 - Banking Finance August 2025

ARTICLE

changes faster than a crypto exchange chart? Like, on may rely on neuroadaptive AI to interpret emotional tone,
Monday they are a walking TED Talk, and by Tuesday they stress levels, and cognitive clarity in high-stakes scenarios.
are a deflated tire. And then you start wondering if they If a BCI (Brain Computer Interface) can capture the intent
are okay or just under pressure from the controlling office. and inflection of a woman silenced for 18 years, it can surely
Well, what if I told you there's a kind of artificial intelligence help train tomorrow's leaders to listen, reflect, and adapt
that knows? Not like your therapist knows. Not like your with more than just data-they can do it with insight.
spouse thinks they know. I mean actually knows. It's like
reading your heart rate while decoding your dopamine lev- Diagnosed with ALS in 2012, Pat Bennett progressively lost
els during that awkward performance review. her speech until in March 2022, a team at Stanford im-
planted arrays in her brain's speech cortex, enabling her to
Imagine your brain as a crowded newsroom during a break- "speak" again via a BCI that decoded her neural activity into
ing story. Signals are firing: stress here, distraction there, text at roughly 62 words per minute-an unprecedented pace
maybe a bit of caffeine-induced overconfidence. Now imag- for such technology. Her journey redefines what assistive
ine someone walks in who can instantly translate that noise technology can do: not just restore lost functions, but en-
into a clear headline. That someone is neuroadaptive AI. able real-time, high-fidelity communication that evolves
with the user.
Technically, it's a blend of biosensing, using EEG (electroen-
cephalogram), eye tracking, skin conductivity, and machine For organizations, her case strengthens the business case
learning algorithms trained to recognize your internal state. for inclusion-first tech strategies-where every employee,
It doesn't just observe how fast you click or where your eyes regardless of physical limitation, can contribute at full cog-
dart. It digs into what your mind is struggling with, even nitive capacity. In leadership development, this translates
before you can name it. Imagine AI systems that don't just into building tools that adapt not only to capability but also
learn from data. They respond to you. You being the cogni- to context, paving the way for neuro-inclusive innovation as
tive, emotional, and neural hurricane that is the modern a pillar of performance and retention.
human leader. Neuroadaptive AI integrates:
EEG sensors In May 2025, Bradford Smith, a former athlete paralyzed
Biometric feedback (heart rate variability, pupil dilation) by ALS, became the first Neuralink BCI patient to script, edit,
and upload a YouTube video using only brain signals-his cur-
Behavioral analytics
sor controlled via imagined jaw movements, his narration
delivered through a synthetic voice modelled on pre-ALS
It combines it with machine learning models that adjust recordings. His case shatters conventional notions of what
interfaces, coaching styles, and even tone of voice based on "disabled" means and reframes assistive tech as a platform
your current neurological state. It's like if Microsoft Teams for expressive agency.
became your therapist, executive coach, and HR depart-
ment all in one. And yes, it would still hang during presen-
tations.

From Silence to Signal

Ann Johnson, a former teacher who lost her ability to speak
after a brainstem stroke in 2005, became one of the first
people to regain her voice using a brain-computer interface.
In August 2023, researchers used tiny electrode arrays im-
planted in her brain to decode her neural signals and syn-
thesize speech through a digital avatar-restoring not just
words but emotional nuance in real time.

Her story is a breakthrough moment not only for assistive
tech but also for future leadership development tools that

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