China Greenlights World’s First Commercial Brain-Computer Interface

China just approved the world’s first invasive brain-computer interface (BCI) for commercial use, letting Shanghai-based company Neuracle Medical Technology bring its neural implant to market ahead of Neuralink and every other rival.

The coin-sized wireless implant that sits on the surface of the brain’s outer membrane, just above the tissue and not inside it, to reduce the damage risk, pairs a brain implant with a robotic glove enabling adults with spinal cord injuries to grip and hold objects via thought-driven signals. It is mainly designed for 18–60-year-olds with stable upper-limb paralysis who retain arm movement but can’t grasp.

China designated BCI a national "future industry," weaving it into its economic planning, and her approval makes this the first invasive BCI cleared for commercial medical use.

Rivals like Musk’s Neuralink and Synchron are still in trial or demo mode, Musk saying Neuralink will reach “high-volume production” this year.