Chinese company reveals brain chip similar to Neuralink tech

Chinese company's Neuralink: Beijing Xinzhida Neurotechnology unveiled Neucyber, a brain-computer interface (BCI) implant akin to Neuralink's technology, during the annual Zhongguancun Forum in Beijing on Thursday. The state-run Xinhua news agency reported that Neucyber, tested successfully on a monkey, enabled the animal to control a robotic arm with its thoughts. Xinhua touted Neucyber as China's first "high-performance invasive BCI," emphasising its independent development.

Xinzhida Neurotechnology, primarily owned by the Beijing municipal government's state asset regulator, showcased its groundbreaking innovation amid China's push to advance in BCI technology. While not explicitly mentioning Elon Musk's Neuralink, the unveiling underscores China's ambition to rival the American startup.

Last year, China's ministry of industry and information technology recognised BCI technology as a pivotal "cutting-edge emerging technology" at the Zhongguancun Forum, signalling the nation's strategic focus in this domain.

Unlike Neuralink, which has already conducted human trials, Xinzhida Neurotechnology has yet to initiate such experiments. Nonetheless, the unveiling of Neucyber marks a significant milestone in China's quest to harness BCI advancements.

The development of Neucyber underscores the intensifying competition in the neurotechnology landscape, with both Chinese and Western entities vying to pioneer breakthroughs in brain-computer interfaces. As the race for innovation accelerates, stakeholders closely monitor developments in this rapidly evolving field.

(with Reuters inputs)