In a policy document released this month, China has signaled its ambition to become a world leader in brain-computer interfaces, the same technology that Elon Musk’s Neuralink and other US startups are developing.
Brain-computer interfaces, or BCIs, read and decode neural activity to translate it into commands. Because they provide a direct link between the brain and an external device, such as a computer or robotic arm, BCIs have tremendous potential as assistive devices for people with severe physical disabilities.
In the US, Neuralink, Synchron, Paradromics, and others have sprung up in recent years to commercialize BCIs. Now, China boasts several homegrown BCI companies, and its government is making the development of the technology a priority.
Jointly authored in July by seven departments within the Chinese government—including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the National Health Commission, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences—the new policy document lays out a road map for China to achieve breakthroughs in BCI technology by 2027 and build an internationally competitive industry by 2030.
“We know that China is strong at translating basic research into practical uses and commercialization. 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,” says Max Riesenhuber, a professor of neuroscience and codirector of the Center for Neuroengineering at Georgetown University Medical Center, who has published research on China’s BCI developments.
“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,” he says.
Research on BCIs dates back to the 1970s, but for decades, the technology was too cumbersome and unreliable for practical applications. Neuralink and its US competitors are all aiming to improve on the design and performance of early BCIs to make useful products for patients.
China’s foray into BCI research came later, but the country is quickly catching up to the US. Several companies and research institutions in China have successfully tested BCI implants in patients, showing that people with paralysis can move a cursor on a computer screen, operate a robotic arm, and type out their thoughts. Last year, the Chinese government released ethical guidelines for the use of BCIs. Now, its policy document lays out a road map for speeding up the development of these devices. It outlines 17 specific steps, which include creating better chips to capture brain signals, improving software to decode those signals, standardizing BCI technology, and establishing manufacturing capabilities.
“The Chinese government has always been supportive of disruptive technologies,” says Phoenix Peng, cofounder and CEO of NeuroXess, a BCI company based in Shanghai. “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.”
He says NeuroXess has implanted six paralyzed patients with its device. In three of those patients, it was used to accurately decode Chinese speech. For the others, it allowed thought control of digital devices.