"We'll be able to read others' thoughts as easily as we use smartphones now": Who Trump appointed as the head of science in the U.S.

“A brilliant scientist and entrepreneur” – this is how Donald Trump introduced the individual who will now lead science in the United States.

His name is Dario Gil. He is 49 years old and hails from Spain. Having indeed made an impressive career in America, Trump chose the perfect epithet.

Spanish media erupted with this news: “A Spaniard in the White House,” “Dario Gil – the engineer chosen by Trump.”

Here’s what Gil himself says about our – meaning all of humanity’s – near future:

- We will connect the brain to the computer. This involves not just artificial intelligence or quantum computers, but a combination of both. If we significantly enhance the performance of computers (referring to quantum machines – Ed.) and connect them with humans, it will improve our memory, our ability to calculate quickly, and our capacity to speak different languages, – Dario Gil mentions in an interview with the Spanish publication El País.

And all of this will become as commonplace in 10 years as smartphones are today! One immediately thinks of Elon Musk and his Neuralink project – he is working on the “brain-computer” interface. It seems that Gil and Musk have a solid understanding of each other and will collaborate well in Trump’s team.

Moreover, we will learn to read other people's thoughts; it's just a matter of time and the advancement of neurotechnology, Gil is confident. And yes, he recognizes that alongside beneficial applications (primarily in medicine, for instance, for patients who cannot speak), these technologies could also be exploited by less scrupulous individuals – fraudsters and criminals. They would undoubtedly want to invade others' minds for their own selfish purposes. We need to start thinking now about how to regulate all of this, acknowledges Gil.

Who is this person and engineer, Dario Gil? He was born in the town of El Palmar in the Spanish province of Murcia, near the Mediterranean Sea. Interestingly, another rising Spanish star – tennis player Carlos Alcaraz, the world’s third-ranked player – also comes from El Palmar. Not bad for a provincial town with a population of 25,000!

Gil studied in Madrid (and still supports Real Madrid), and he defended his dissertation in the U.S. at the prestigious MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He began working at the giant computer corporation IBM, where he focuses on the same hot topics: artificial intelligence, quantum computers, and semiconductors.

He married an American, and they have two daughters. Currently, he is a senior vice president and director of science at IBM – he has spent his entire career at one company. This is indeed an impressive career for a Spanish-speaking provincial immigrant.

But that’s not all. Dario Gil has taken the helm of the National Science Board. During Trump’s previous presidency, he was one of his advisors. Now, he has become the leading figure in science in the United States. His official title is Deputy Secretary for Science and Innovation at the Department of Energy. His responsibilities include overseeing research in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and nuclear energy.

Like all candidates, Gil is still awaiting congressional approval. But surely Dario has read the thoughts of everyone who will be voting and is confident in his success.