Friday, September 4, 2026 - China is accelerating the development and commercialization of brain-computer interface technology, with several domestic companies receiving regulatory approval for devices as the country seeks to advance a sector also being pursued by Elon Musk’s Neuralink.
Several Chinese brain-computer interface startups have
reportedly secured approval from health regulators to sell devices, while
insurers have introduced commercial policies covering the invasive surgical
procedures required for some implants.
Brain-computer interfaces, commonly known as BCIs, are
designed to establish a direct communication link between the brain and
external technology. Once implanted, some systems can translate brain activity
into digital or physical commands, potentially allowing users to control
computers, robotic limbs and other devices. China earlier this year became the
first country to approve BCI devices for commercial use and has identified the
technology as a strategic industry in its latest five-year plan.
Among the latest products to receive market approval is an
electrode-equipped cap developed by Tianjin-based Tiankai Suishi Intelligent
Technology. The device, which is already on sale, is designed to help doctors
assess and diagnose patients’ cognitive functions. The developments come as
companies around the world race to advance brain-interface technology,
including Neuralink, founded by Musk.
Musk has previously described Neuralink’s coin-sized implant
as a “Fitbit in your skull” and has suggested that future versions could
eventually enable closer integration between humans and artificial
intelligence. “It could even get to the point where you can upload your
memories and essentially have a saved version of yourself... then download that
into a robot body or a clone version of your original self,” Musk said during
an event last year.
“I’m really getting into sci fi here.... but I do think
stuff like that will be possible, which would give people a form of
immortality.” Neuralink has already tested its technology in people with
paralysis, with trials demonstrating the ability of participants to control
computers using brain signals.
In October, the company said more than 10,000 people had signed up to its patient registry to participate in trials of its brain-chip technology. Reports have indicated that at least 26 patients have been enrolled in trials or implanted with Neuralink’s brain-computer interface. Early participants have included people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and quadriplegia. Trials have also demonstrated the technology’s potential to control physical devices, including robotic limbs.
“Participants in our clinical trials have extended digital computer control to physical devices such as assistive robotic arms,” Neuralink said in a social media post in December. “Over time, we plan to expand the range of devices controllable via Neuralink.”
Despite China’s rapid push into the sector, at least one
Chinese developer has acknowledged that its technology remains behind
Neuralink. Beijing-backed startup NeuCyber Neurotech said earlier this year
that its most advanced product was still about three years behind Neuralink’s
capabilities.
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