I'd say they are interested, if they're paying to bring someone in to talk about it. There are all kinds of reasons that they might be interested, and I'm curious to know which ones apply here :)
All the ludicrous claims about transforming commerce, toppling governments, etc. are starting to grate a little, and I thought this headline deliberately suggested a much more serious scenario than somebody going to speak at a tech conference in the Summer.
I do not think it a highly serious matter, I assure you.