So if recycling electronics for gold is super profitable with this new technology, they will probably capture the silver, as well, even if that becomes a separate process.

If it doesn’t pay to recycle for silver because of the low silver price you now can get that silver as a by product of the profitable gold recycling. If you do the gold process and it is extremely profitable approx. 50-1, you can spend a few bucks to get the silver as well while you are there. Something you never would have done previously. https://newatlas.com/materials/gold-electronic-waste/