The Chinese government has reportedly set a goal to become a global leader in brain-computer interface (BCI) technology, a report claims. This signals its intent to compete directly with US companies like Elon Musk‘s Neuralink. A new policy document, jointly authored by seven government departments in China, reportedly outlines a roadmap for the Country to achieve breakthroughs in BCI by 2027 and establish an internationally competitive industry by 2030. BCIs read and decode neural activity to control external devices, offering potential as assistive technology for people with severe physical disabilities. In the US, Neuralink, Synchron, and Paradromics have been working to commercialise this technology, and China is now making a concerted effort to develop its own homegrown BCI companies.
What experts said about China’s BCI development
In a statement to Wired, Max Riesenhuber, codirector of the Centre for Neuroengineering at Georgetown University, has published research on China’s BCI developments. Riesenhuber, who is also a professor of neuroscience, said: “We know that China is strong at translating basic research into practical uses and commercialisation. We’ve seen that in other industries, such as photovoltaics and electric cars. Now, BCI is another area where that’s going to be critical. The document really lays out this whole umbrella of activities needed to become a leader in BCI, not just in research, but in actually getting it into the mainstream.”Research on BCIs began in the 1970s, but only recently gained traction with companies like Elon Musk-owned Neuralink improving early designs. China entered the field later but is catching up, with successful patient trials enabling tasks like moving cursors and controlling robotic arms, the report adds. The government has issued ethical guidelines and a policy roadmap with 17 steps to accelerate BCI development, focusing on better chips, decoding software, standardisation, and manufacturing.“The Chinese government has always been supportive of disruptive technologies. I think, from the government’s point of view, this policy means that BCI technology has already passed from a concept level into the product level,” Phoenix Peng, cofounder and CEO of NeuroXess, a BCI company based in Shanghai, said.
