If information is not extracted and used, it doesn't qualify as being a "clue".

The question of course is how much of a shortcut is possible. The answer to date seems to be: none to slim.

The search oracles and stockmarketbot makers have paid precious little attention to the brain. They are based on engineering principles instead.

I agree engineers reverse engineering will succeed way ahead of full emulation,

Most engineers spend very little time on reverse-engineering nature. There is a little "bioinspiration" - but inspiration is a bit different from wholescale copying.