China accelerates AI brain implants toward public deployment
Chinese companies are moving artificial-intelligence powered brain-computer interfaces from clinical trials into commercial use, with some devices expected to reach patients within months. These systems link a person's brain to external devices using sensors placed on or inside the head, enabling people with paralysis or neurodegenerative diseases to control appliances and communicate.
NeuroXess, a Shanghai-based company, has already demonstrated the technology's capabilities in human trials. In October, a 28-year-old man with a spinal cord injury controlled household appliances by moving a computer cursor with his thoughts. The company also developed an AI language model that decodes Mandarin at 300 characters per minute-faster than the average speaking speed of native speakers at 220 characters per minute.
The implant sits on top of the skull, with sensors fitted to the brain's outer layer. A wired connection runs to a transmitter and battery embedded in the recipient's chest. In one trial, a 35-year-old woman with epilepsy used the system to generate words and phrases in real time, according to Tiger Tao, NeuroXess's co-founder and chief scientist.
Government targets global leadership
China's government has stated it wants to lead the global BCI market by 2030. It expects major technical breakthroughs by 2027 and aims to develop two or three world-class companies by decade's end. The country approved the world's first commercial brain implant in March.
The rapid advancement raises questions about data privacy, particularly when devices combine brain-activity recordings with AI systems. China released ethical guidelines for BCIs in 2024 requiring written consent from trial participants and ethics review approval. The government has been proactive in establishing rules that companies must follow, Tao said.
Why adoption may accelerate in China
Chinese users show higher tolerance for data sharing than counterparts in some other countries, according to Meicen Sun, an information scientist at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Because companies have access to user data, they can improve both the technology and user experience, which builds confidence and encourages more people to share their data.
"It's a self-reinforcing loop," Sun said.
Li Haifeng, a neuro-computing scientist at Harbin Institute of Technology, said AI language models enable more accurate decoding of brain activity than conventional signal-processing methods. This improvement has prompted multiple Chinese and U.S. companies to integrate large language models into their brain devices over the past few years.
Your membership also unlocks:
