The world's first web3 apps for brain-computer interfaces

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Gabriel Axel Montes, PhD

[GENERAL] Are you delivering this project as an individual or as an entity (whether formally incorporated or not)

Entity (Incorporated)

[GENERAL] Please specify how many months you expect your project to last (from 2-12 months)

12

[GENERAL] Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated into English from another language

No

[GENERAL] Summarize your solution to the problem (200-character limit including spaces)

We will create the world's first web3-enabled BCI and its first killer apps, on Cardano. Our mission is to foster human superintelligence and create the infrastructure for cognitive liberty.

[GENERAL] Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

Yes

[GENERAL] If YES, please describe what the dependency is and why you believe it is essential for your project’s delivery. If NO, please write “No dependencies.”

We have an existing collaboration with a hardware provider for one of our brain-computer interfaces. There are no risks here, as the hardware is already manufactured, is functional, and has users.

[GENERAL] Will your project’s output/s be fully open source?

No

[GENERAL] Please provide here more information on the open source status of your project outputs

While the blockchain aspects of the project will of course be publicly visible, we are a for-profit entity with proprietary tech, including one that is already patent-pending.

[METADATA] Horizons

Tokenization

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

TL;DR: Artificial super intelligence is coming, humans will need brain-computer interfaces to capably engage with it, and there is currently nothing that connects web3/crypto and the brain. Without crypto involved, there will be no decentralization of BCI, meaning no cognitive liberty. We build on our past successful Cardano Catalyst history in neuroscience, AI, and web3 to bring this groundbreaking proposal that is virtually an existential need. Founder: Dr. Gabriel Axel Montes, neuroscientist (PhD) and consciousness researcher working in AI and crypto since 2017 as SingularityNET founding team.

Below we describe the Problem we are solving and our thinking about it, followed by the project output.

THE PROBLEM:

bci/acc: brain-computer interface accelerationism

The cascade of rapid advances in AI is likely to yield AGI soon -- and within a few years following that, ASI*. That puts AI timelines at 3-10 years to ASI.

AGI = artificial general intelligence; performs at human level.

ASI = artificial super intelligence; performs at far beyond (10x, 100x, 1000x, etc) human level in all tasks

In the technological sense, interacting with ASI will virtually require humans to have a high-bandwidth interface, namely brain-computer interfaces (BCI's), so that our brains can touch silicon in order to bring the scaling benefits of Moore's Law to human intelligence.

While invasive BCI may become more powerful over time (e.g. Neuralink), in the near- and medium-term, our stance is that non-invasive BCI is the way towards mass adoption.

This will enable human superintelligence (HSI) alongside ASI. To get there, we need to accelerate BCI development. Hence, our stance to bring this to fruition is bci/acc.

This is actually a quite dire situation, with ASI coming and no BCI development commenced in earnest with this in mind as of yet. Our mission is to bring this to reality, to help create an era of HSI, and to provide a solution that preserves cognitive liberty.

Cognitive liberty: Not your keys, not your thoughts.

There is currently zero way for the brain to interface with web3/crypto. This is required for preserving and empowering cognitive liberty when there is a proliferation of ASI and BCI. Without decentralized infrastructure, a future of human dignity will be a hard fight.

Cardano has the opportunity to be the first mover in this world-first technology.

We aim to build this web3-brain bridge on Cardano. We believe in the Cardano community and its technical capabilities to be able to rise to the mission once we have provided the initial solution.

Who will our project engage?

We will make our project usable on certain consumer-grade neurotech device(s) so that users can begin to utilize our technology early on. We anticipate that early adopter types will be the first to engage with our product. We also anticipate that the Cardano community more generally will begin to see the benefits and importance of the mission, in particular around cognitive liberty, and the need to start now rather than waiting to react to the tidal waves of AGI and ASI.

How will we demonstrate/prove our project?

We already have NFT-creation based on a neuropsychological test (working on Cardano: neuralprint.io), and our research utilizes a brainwave headset that has established market traction. This project will build upon this work by developing BCI and crypto applications.

The project will result in the following key outputs:

1. Research document reviewing and synthesizing the state-of-the-art in BCI technologies and each technology's market potential. This is a crucial foundation required in order to build upon. From here, potential killer apps are derived.
2. BCI research conducted
3. BCI apps developed (two or more of the following, with the remainder in a pipeline):
4. Brainwave-based identity & authentication (patent-pending)
5. Brain-integrated generative AI; adjusting LLM persona characteristics based on brain data. LLM functionality without brain data already established.
6. Generating memes from brain data (potential partner identified)
7. Cognitive snapshots as NFT's (precursor to direct transfer of thoughts between brains)
8. Representing task decision-making options (as a precursor for neural markets and "NeuroFi"; i.e. betting on cognitive data, a concept first expounded by Dr. Gabriel in a 2017 talk)
9. Brain/cognition tokenization architecture
10. A document detailing brain tokenization architecture. Tokenization schema for brain/cognitive functionalities and features, starting with Attention itself. Attention is the act of neurons tuning themselves toward specific types of perceptions. This itself can be a ground layer for representing brain function in crypto/web3, as everything else can be built upon this, and this is also something that can be consumed/understood by advanced AI.

RISKS & MITIGATION:

1) A given neurotech hardware device doesn't suit/work for a given application -

SOLUTION: Use a different neurotech device, as there are multiple available consumer devices.

2) A given application doesn't work as envisioned -

SOLUTION: Shift focus and development to another application from the list of options provided above. Or possibly, a new application is determined based on the research.

[IMPACT] Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community

This will be the world's first BCI-crypto development, linking BCI to web3 -- a necessary tech development for human flourishing in the age of ASI.

With this proposal, Cardano stands to be the first mover and at the forefront of this movement.

This impact will be measured by transactions on Cardano. We will promote our project actively in the Cardano community. Users will be able to signup for our platform and also mint Cardano NFT's on mainnet using the hardware and our applications.

[CAPABILITY & FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

The proposer, Gabriel Axel Montes, has successfully closed out a handful of Catalyst proposals in the past, several of which were in neuroscience and web3 (the area of this proposal) including minting NFTs using a neuropsychological test. Dr. Gabriel is a publishing neuroscientist (see academic publications here) in the area of neuroscience, biometrics, AI, engineering, and decentralization, and has a track record of conducting projects and research at the cutting edge of crypto-AI since 2017, including leading technical teams to produce prototypes in AI, VR, robotics, and crypto governance.

[PROJECT MILESTONES] What are the key milestones you need to achieve in order to complete your project successfully?

Milestone* outputs:

Research document on BCI technologies and their market potential, with a focus on non-invasive BCI.

Acceptance criteria:

The document breaks down the world of BCI into the current technologies available and what information from the brain can be gleaned from them, as well as the possible implications for products of each.

Evidence of milestone completion:

Document completed and available for viewing.

*Indicative

Milestone* outputs:

1. Acquisition of BCI devices
2. BCI research commenced: hardware setup and data acquisition commenced
3. Tokenization architecture design commenced

Acceptance criteria:

1. Hardware has been acquired;
2. Data collection has commenced;
3. Tokenization architecture document writing has commenced, showing high-level outline and seeds of thought.

Evidence of milestone completion:

1. Proof of hardware acquisition (photos and/or videos, showing live use);
2. Proof that data collection has commenced (non-confidential data files provided);
3. Tokenization document linked.

*Indicative

Milestone* outputs:

1. Tokenization architecture document 1/3 complete;
2. BCI app #1 (which app is TBD) alpha version;
3. BCI app #2 (which app is TBD) development commenced.

Acceptance criteria:

1. Tokenization architecture document has been further developed compared to prior milestone;
2. BCI app #1 is in alpha form (at least in proof-of-concept stage);
3. BCI app #2 is being worked on.

Evidence of milestone completion:

1. Tokenization document linked, evidencing progress compared to prior milestone;
2. Link to video demo of BCI app #1, demonstrating its core functionalities;
3. Screenshots, photos, and/or code shown for development of BCI app #2 in progress.

*Indicative

Milestone* outputs:

1. Tokenization architecture document 2/3 complete;
2. BCI research has provided insight into desirable target candidate BCI app(s);
3. BCI app #1 reaches final stage of development (pre-release);

Acceptance criteria:

1. Tokenization architecture document has been further developed compared to prior milestone;
2. BCI research points to specific brain functionalities as viable candidates for a possible BCI application;
3. BCI app #1 is usable and in working form (pending final developments/refinements);

Evidence of milestone completion:

1. Tokenization document linked, evidencing progress compared to prior milestone;
2. BCI research data demonstrates that some functionalities are more desirable/workable than others in terms of possible technical feasibility;
3. Link to video demo of BCI app #1, demonstrating its core functionalities.

*Indicative

Milestone* outputs:

1. Tokenization architecture document 90% complete;
2. BCI app #2 (which app is TBD) alpha version.
3. BCI research yields a brain functionality for app candidate;

Acceptance criteria:

1. Tokenization architecture document has been further developed compared to prior milestone;
2. BCI app #2 is in alpha form (at least in proof-of-concept stage);
3. BCI research provides a resultant target brain functionality that can be used for development of an application.

Evidence of milestone completion:

1. Tokenization document linked, evidencing progress compared to prior milestone;
2. Link to video demo of BCI app #2, demonstrating its core functionalities;
3. BCI research document and data that demonstrates technical feasibility for an application.

*Indicative

Milestone* outputs:

1. Tokenization architecture document 100% complete;
2. BCI app #1 development complete (at least to the level of working prototype that can be released at least in beta-testing form, if not further);
3. BCI app #2 development complete (at least to the level of working prototype that can be released at least in beta-testing form, if not further);
4. BCI research complete;
5. Project close-out report and video.

Acceptance criteria:

1. Tokenization architecture document has been further developed (to completion) compared to prior milestone;
2. BCI research provides a resultant target brain functionality that can be used for development of an application.
3. BCI app #1 is usable and in working form, with accessible links.
4. BCI app #2 is usable and in working form, with accessible links.
5. Project close-out report and video viewable and accessible.

Evidence of milestone completion:

1. Tokenization document linked, evidencing progress (to completion) compared to prior milestone;
2. Link to video demo of BCI app #1, demonstrating its functionality, and a links to instructions for using the app;
3. Link to video demo of BCI app #2 demonstrating its functionality, and a links to instructions for using the app;
4. Project close-out report and video are complete and meet Catalyst criteria.

*Indicative

[RESOURCES] Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

Gabriel Axel Montes, PhD. (Entity: Neuralprint)

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielaxel/
• Project lead, design, execution, management, logistics
• Background:
• Cognitive (neuro)science, AI, and consciousness researcher; author; speaker.
• Founding team of global AI firm, SingularityNET ($36M raise; grew 10X to >$500M valuation).
• Led technical teams to produce applications in AI, virtual reality, and humanoid robotics
• U. Utrecht, Harvard, U. Newcastle, U. Florida.

Trent McConaghy

• http://www.trent.st/
• Advisor on project
• Background: Ocean Protocol (Founder), multiple exits

[BUDGET & COSTS] Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

Project lead, design, research, logistics, management, and execution

• $27,000 ($2.25k x 12 months)

Engineering & Data Analysis

•  $9,000 ($750 x 12 months)

Hardware (BCI) equipment (consumer & research-grade):

• $16,500

Marketing

• $1,500

Total: $54k USD (Approximately ₳150k, at $0.36 exchange rate)

[VALUE FOR MONEY] How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

The costs of this proposal are modest relative to each line item. The costs reflect the following:

• Wages proportionate to countries (the project lead operates out of the USA);
• Hardware. Costs of this proposal are stripped down to the minimum, as BCI hardware can go for much more expensive.

Every effort has been made to mitigate costs, including hardware, which is the outlier factor.