Chinese brain chip project strives to surpass Elon Musk's Neuralink in human patient implants

A partnership between the Chinese Institute for Brain Research (CIBR) and tech firm NeuCyber NeuroTech is rapidly advancing its brain-computer interface (BCI) technology, aiming to implant its semi-invasive wireless brain chip, Beinao No.1, into 13 patients by the end of 2025.

The initiative, announced during Beijing’s Zhongguancun Forum, could place China ahead of Elon Musk’s Neuralink in terms of patient data collection and trial scale. An article by Reuters has cited Luo Minmin, the director of CIBR and chief scientist at NeuCyber, who stated that three patients have already received the Beinao No.1 chip within the past month, and ten more are expected to be implanted this year.

If successful, this would give Beinao No.1 the highest number of human implantations for a brain chip globally. CIBR and NeuCyber also plan to begin formal clinical trials involving around 50 patients in 2026, pending regulatory approval.

This development underscores China's push to catch up with and potentially surpass foreign BCI leaders. Currently, US-based Synchron—backed by investors like Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates—leads the field with 10 human patients. Neuralink, known for its more invasive approach, has implanted its chip into three people to date.

While Neuralink inserts chips directly into brain tissue to achieve high signal fidelity, Beinao No.1 uses a semi-invasive method by placing the chip on the brain’s surface. This approach slightly compromises signal strength but significantly reduces the risk of brain damage and complications after surgery.

Recent videos from Chinese state media have demonstrated patients with paralysis using Beinao No.1 to operate a robotic arm and even transmit thoughts onto a computer screen. Luo noted that these demonstrations have generated overwhelming public interest, with many people reaching out to seek help.

CIBR and NeuCyber only began human trials recently; just last year, they had tested their more invasive chip, Beinao No.2, on a monkey, enabling it to control a robotic arm. A wireless version of Beinao No.2, more akin to Neuralink’s fully implantable chip, is now in development and expected to be tested on a human subject within the next 12 to 18 months.

Meanwhile, Synchron has announced a collaboration with Nvidia to integrate AI capabilities into its BCI systems. Luo indicated that CIBR and NeuCyber are actively seeking investment partners but emphasized they are looking for long-term collaborators, not those chasing short-term profits.

By Nazrin Sadigova