For years, we have talked about the promise of open talent: breaking down rigid corporate boundaries so the best ideas and expertise can flow freely to where they are needed most. The next frontier may not just be scaling networks of people. It may be scaling the mind of the individual.
Imagine this. Instead of relying on a generic large language model, each of us could have our own LLM built directly on top of our brain. Not just an archive of our writings or recordings, but a living, functional model derived from the biological patterns that make our thinking unique.
I had a chance to catch up with Asaaf Horowitz, the CEO and Co-Founder of BrainVivo, as he shared his vision. By using advanced brain imaging and AI encoders, they are beginning to build "BrainTwins," algorithmic replicas of how individuals think, feel, and process the world. The implications are staggering.
We have long understood that expertise is scarce and fragile. A master architect, a brilliant physician, or a visionary entrepreneur holds wisdom built through decades of experience. Yet it often disappears when they retire or when life takes its inevitable course. What if that wisdom could be digitally preserved and scaled? A BrainTwin of a world-class neurologist could support medical students worldwide. The encoded intuition of a Michelin-star chef could guide millions of aspiring cooks in real time. Imagine accessing the accumulated decision-making wisdom of a legendary business leader not through case studies but through their actual cognitive model. This is not replacing human expertise. It is scaling it beyond human constraints.
Open talent has always been about finding and mobilizing the right skills at the right time. Brain-based LLMs take this a step further. Instead of renting someone's time, organizations could license their way of problem-solving. The potential is enormous. A library of cognitive models from leading specialists could democratize access to rare expertise, especially in regions where experts are scarce. Employees could learn by doing, not through static manuals or workshops, but by engaging directly with the digital patterns of their company's top minds. Writers, designers, and artists could train apprentices or even collaborate with future generations through their digital selves. Just as platforms taught us how to scale skills across networks, brain-based LLMs could teach us how to scale entire ways of thinking.
If there is one lesson from the evolution of talent platforms, it is that technology accelerates but human judgment directs. BrainTwins may preserve wisdom, but it will be up to living humans to frame, question, and apply it. The guide is still needed, even if the archive has been digitized.
Of course, this vision carries risks. Who owns a BrainTwin: the individual, their employer, or the company that digitized it? How do we prevent bias, manipulation, or exploitation of these cognitive models? What happens when someone's digital twin becomes more widely used or more profitable than the person themselves? These questions are not hypothetical. They will shape the ethics and economics of this new frontier. If we have learned anything from the rise of AI, it is that we cannot wait to debate these questions until after the technology scales.
For leaders, the provocation is clear. What would it mean if every employee, every expert, and every leader in your network could scale their wisdom infinitely? The first wave of AI was about automation and efficiency. The next may be about preservation and amplification, ensuring that hard-won knowledge does not vanish but becomes a renewable resource for humanity.
Just as the printing press democratized access to written words, brain-based LLMs could democratize access to human wisdom itself. That could reshape not just how we work but how we learn, create, and solve problems together. The question is not whether this will be possible. The question is how we will choose to use it. Forward-looking organizations can begin now by experimenting with ways to scale wisdom through current digital tools. Those early steps will prepare them for a future when the mind itself can be preserved, extended, and shared.