Elon Musk’s Neuralink has been developing brain chips that can be implanted to let people with paralysis control objects using their minds. Noland Arbaugh was the company’s first human patient, a quadriplegic who received a brain implant a year ago. He recently informed the world that he has “had no negative side effects, neither physically nor psychologically.”
Neuralink is now developing a brain chip that will help blind people see again. Musk recently announced that it is known as Blindsight and will be implanted into a human for the first time this year. The billionaire said that the animal trials were successful and the monkeys on which it was tested were healthy.
Also Read: Musk announces first implant of Neuralink’s Blindsight vision chip in human by end of 2025
However, a collaboration between a Chinese research institute and a tech company might beat Musk at this game. The tie-up has announced that it is working towards implanting its brain chip into 13 people by the end of this year.
Chinese initiative racing ahead with brain implants
Beijing-based Chinese Institute for Brain Research (CIBR) and NeuCyber NeuroTech have already inserted Beinao No.1, a semi-invasive wireless brain chip, into three patients in the past month. Ten other patients are lined up for the brain implants this year, Luo Minmin, director of CIBR and NeuCyber’s chief scientist, said.
Also Read: Did Elon Musk just pull off a coup with xAI deal?
The tie-up has grand plans for 2026. “Next year, after getting regulatory approval,l we will do formal clinical trials that will include around 50 patients,” Luo told reporters on the sidelines of the tech-focussed Zhongguancun Forum in Beijing.
State media released videos this month showing paralytic patients using the Beinao No. 1 brain chip to control a robotic arm to pour a cup of water. They could also transmit their thoughts onto a computer screen.
What is Neuralink doing?
Meanwhile, Neuralink has filed trademarks for the term “Blindsight,” along with “telepathy” and “telekinesis,” with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The company installed brain chips in three patients in January 2024, which helped them control their body movements with just their thoughts.
Now, Neuralink is working to help blind people see with the Blindsight chip. However, it does not have a timeline and requires further testing. However, it is not the only American company in the field.
Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates invest in another brain chip company
BCI company Synchron is currently the leader in brain chip human trials, with 10 patients, six in the United States and four in Australia. Billionaires Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates are among the investors in the company. This puts Musk’s Neuralink way behind the other companies working on brain chip implants.
How is Neuralink different?
However, there is a major difference between what Neuralink is doing and what the Chinese tie-up and Synchron do. Musk’s company creates wireless brain chips that are inserted inside the brain to maximise signal quality. Meanwhile, the other companies make semi-invasive chips or brain-computer interface (BCI) systems, which are placed on the brain’s surface. The latter has a major advantage since they pose less risk of brain tissue damage and other post-surgery complications. The signal quality is compromised in the process.
