China has made a new revelation. Proposal to install brain-computer interface (BCI) Standardization Technical Committee has been incorporated as part of its Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). The scheme aims to advance the development and regulation of BCI technologies, which are similar to those being developed by MIIT. Elon Musk’s Neuralink,
The proposal announced by the Department of Science and Technology outlines a framework for creating and refining the standards needed for the BCI sector. These standards will cover several aspects including brain information collection, data communication, and the application of BCI in various industries such as healthcare, education, and consumer electronics.
BCI is a relatively new area of technology research where signals from the brain are used to control an external device, such as a robotic limb. Neuralink Corp, co-founded by the Tesla billionaire in 2016, is working on a device that uses brain signals to control movement. Looking for implantable devices and people with quadriplegia According to its website, the company has been invited to participate in clinical trials.
In April this year, Chinese government-backed company Beijing Xinjiada Neurotechnology developed a brain implant called NewCyber, which was tested on a monkey, allowing it to control a robotic arm with its thoughts. According to state news agency Xinhua, the technology was “independently developed” and is China’s first “high-performance invasive BCI”.
The ministry is seeking public comments on the matter and responses are due by July 30.
Why is China competing with Neuralink?
The government announcement signals China’s intention to “accelerate the development of similar technologies to compete with Western competitors such as Neuralink” while it has primarily focused its efforts on academic research settings.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged China to “step up its domestic innovation” due to other countries’ dominance in some strategic technologies. In particular, Beijing is investing billions of dollars in its semiconductor industry, as the US considers imposing further sanctions on it. China’s access to chip technology,
By setting clear standards and fostering a collaborative environment between industry, academia, and government, the country hopes to advance its capabilities in this emerging field and compete with leading global companies like Neuralink.
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