I think it will be interesting to see what develops as we learn more and more about the mechanisms of our brain and how they intersect with the subjective experience of our mind. I feel reasonably certain we’re going to be able to unlock new capabilities that were previously either undiscovered or not reliably available to humans. Things like the ability for some people to essentially be a human calculator, and others to have photographic memories.
The possible downside however is that we will likely be able to quantify the capabilities of any particular brain based solely on an assessment of its physical attributes. That seems like a dark place.
Or we might discover that brains are not so fundamentally different and most of the differences arise from the environment? It's the centuries old nature vs nurture debate. Perhaps that is the wrong question to ask.
I agree both extremes are possible. I don't feel confident betting on either extreme. I would bet it's both at the same time (nature AND nurture) to the point where the individual influence of each is practically impossible to disentangle.
The possible downside however is that we will likely be able to quantify the capabilities of any particular brain based solely on an assessment of its physical attributes. That seems like a dark place.