China Aims for Global Leadership in Brain Chips, Rivals Elon Musk's Neuralink

China has formed a committee to spearhead the nation's advancements in brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). The initiative seeks to establish China as a global leader in brain chip technology, surpassing Western technology companies like Elon Musk's Neuralink.

China Establishes Committee to Lead Brain-Computer Interface Advancements, Competing with Neuralink

Elon Musk's Neuralink appears comparable to the nation's current advancements.

China has established a committee to direct the nation's advancement of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) to establish itself as the global champion in brain chip technology.

According to reports (via Cointelegraph), the committee will establish national development standards to compete with Western technology companies, including Neuralink, founded by Elon Musk.

In the early 1970s, the expression "brain-computer interface" (BCI) was introduced. A brain-computer interface (BCI) is a device that converts the signals from the brain into a language that a computer can understand.

In the past half-century, scientists and technologists have employed them to investigate the human brain and devise treatments for various neurological conditions. BCIs have demonstrated potential in the treatment of conditions such as epilepsy and in enhancing the quality of life for individuals with conditions such as locked-in syndrome or paralysis in experimental settings.

In 2016, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk established Neuralink to introduce the technology to the general public. Subsequently, BCIs have garnered attention.

Neuralink's BCI technology requires an invasive surgical procedure to implant the device within the user's skull. As reported by Cointelegraph, a Neuralink device was effectively implanted into a human brain on January 28, 2024.

China Aims for Leadership in Cognitive Enhancement Through Controversial Brain-Computer Interfaces

According to reports, China is interested in becoming a global leader in developing BCIs and intends to employ them for cognitive enhancement.

The precise implications of this are yet to be determined; however, a report from Wired characterized a Chinese experiment of this nature as "controversial" due to allegations that a device comparable to Musk's Neuralink would facilitate “enhanced cognition.”

“At a tech forum in Beijing … a Chinese company unveiled a ‘homegrown’ brain-computer interface that allowed a monkey to seemingly control a robotic arm just by thinking about it.”

Due to medical concerns, Neuralink has recently postponed a planned operation to implant a device in the brain of a second patient on the western side.

Meanwhile, Meta, founded by Mark Zuckerberg, is developing a non-invasive BCI that would utilize peripheral technology to translate nerve impulses into a language that can be used to operate the operating system of a holographic display device.

Photo: Microsoft Bing