China Accelerates Brain Chip Human Trials, Aims to Surpass Neuralink

A Chinese brain chip project is accelerating human trials, aiming to implant its device in 13 people by the end of 2024, potentially surpassing Elon Musk’s Neuralink in patient data collection.

Credit: REUTERS

The Beijing-based Chinese Institute for Brain Research (CIBR) and state-owned tech firm NeuCyber NeuroTech have already implanted their semi-invasive wireless brain chip, Beinao No.1, into three patients in the past month.

Ten more patients are scheduled to receive the implant this year, according to Luo Minmin, director of CIBR and chief scientist at NeuCyber.

Luo said the team plans to launch formal clinical trials involving around 50 patients in 2025, pending regulatory approval. He made the announcement during the Zhongguancun Forum, a tech-focused event in Beijing.

If successful, Beinao No.1 could become the brain chip with the highest number of human patients globally, highlighting China’s push to compete with leading brain-computer interface (BCI) developers.

Currently, U.S.-based Synchron leads in human trials with 10 patients—six in the United States and four in Australia. Neuralink has implanted its chip in three people.

Unlike Neuralink’s fully invasive chip, which is inserted inside the brain to maximise signal quality, Beinao No.1 is semi-invasive and placed on the brain’s surface. This approach reduces the risk of brain tissue damage and post-surgery complications, though it sacrifices some signal quality.

State media recently released videos showing patients with paralysis using Beinao No.1 to control a robotic arm and transmit thoughts to a computer screen.

Luo said the project has received numerous requests for help since the success of the initial human trials.

Last year, CIBR and NeuCyber had not yet begun human testing. At the time, they announced that an invasive chip, Beinao No.2, had been successfully tested on a monkey, which was able to control a robotic arm.

A wireless version of Beinao No.2, similar to Neuralink’s design, is under development and expected to be tested on humans within 12 to 18 months.

Synchron recently partnered with Nvidia to integrate its AI platform into BCI systems. Luo said CIBR and NeuCyber are in talks with investors but are seeking partners with long-term vision rather than short-term profit motives.

He emphasised that Beinao has no military ties and is focused on helping patients with various forms of paralysis.

NeuCyber is owned by Zhongguancun Development Corporation, which reported revenue of more than 9 billion yuan (USD 1.24 billion) in 2023.

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• China’s Beinao No.1 brain chip implanted in three patients, with 10 more planned in 2024

• Formal clinical trials with 50 patients expected in 2025, pending approval

• Beinao No.1 could surpass Neuralink and Synchron in patient numbers

Source: REUTERS