As of May, five patients in China have received brain chip implants, matching Elon Musk’s Neuralink total
The Chinese Institute for Brain Research (CIBR) recently made headlines for decoding an amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patient’s thoughts using its coin-sized brain chip, Beinao-1, during a clinical trial in Beijing.
The Beinao-1 chip decodes brain signals into text or machine commands with “high accuracy,” according to lead scientist Luo Minmin. The trial highlights China’s expanding push into brain-computer interface (BCI) technology, a field traditionally led by the US.
Minmin told CNN his team plans to implant chips in 50 to 100 more patients over the next year.
As of May, five patients in China have received the Beinao-1 brain chip implant, matching Elon Musk’s Neuralink. Meanwhile, US-based Synchron leads the field with 10 implanted patients.
The global BCI market is projected to soar from $2.6 billion in 2024 to $12.4 billion by 2034, according to Precedence Research. Any tech advancements in the field are a major win for rivals US and China.