China’s brain-computer interface public use could start to emerge within three to five years as the technology matures, a leading expert said, as Beijing moves to accelerate development and narrow the gap with US startups such as Elon Musk’s Neuralink.
Beijing has elevated brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) to a core future strategic industry in its new five-year plan, placing the technology alongside quantum, embodied AI, 6G and nuclear fusion.
Yao Dezhong, director of the Sichuan Institute of Brain Science, said new policies will not change things overnight, but could help push BCI products toward practical public services over the next few years.
China Brain-Computer Interface Public Use: Trials and Timelines
A national BCI development strategy released last year aims for major technical breakthroughs by 2027 and for China to cultivate two or three world-class firms by 2030, according to the report.
China is described as the second country to launch invasive BCI human trials, with more than 10 trials active, matching the United States. Researchers plan to enrol more than 50 patients nationwide this year, the report said.
Recent high-profile trials have enabled paralysed patients and amputees to regain partial mobility and operate robotic hands or intelligent wheelchairs.
The report notes that the government has already integrated some BCI treatments into national medical insurance in a few pilot provinces.
Yao said policies such as insurance integration and national standards are intended to reduce the gap between research, industry and clinical application. He also said that many Chinese hospitals have established BCI research labs to accelerate the transition from experiments to clinical trials.
How China’s BCI Approaches Differ From Neuralink
While US startups such as Neuralink are focused on invasive chips that penetrate brain tissue, the report says Chinese researchers are developing invasive, semi-invasive and non-invasive BCIs.
Semi-invasive systems placed on the brain’s surface may sacrifice some signal quality but can reduce risks such as tissue damage and post-surgery complications, the report said.
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Yao also acknowledged Neuralink’s technical advantage in using a surgical robot that can insert hundreds of electrodes into the brain in minutes, calling it “remarkable,” while adding that China is making rapid progress in the same direction.
