China Approves World's First Commercial Brain Chip, Challenging US Dominance

The late astrophysicist Stephen Hawking lost his ability to speak and move due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. He communicated with the outside world by displaying sentences on a computer screen through communication between an infrared sensor mounted on his glasses and a cheek muscle detection sensor. He expressed gratitude, saying, "Thanks to Intel's technical support, I was able to live doing what I love."

Elon Musk's startup Neuralink is advancing brain-computer interface (BCI) technology that implants computer chips in the brains of paralyzed patients. Patients can control computers, smartphones, and robots using only their thoughts. This is also called "brain implant" technology. After receiving clinical approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2023, Neuralink performed its first procedure, implanting a chip in the brain of Noland Arbaugh, who was paralyzed from a diving accident. The world cheered when video showed Arbaugh sitting in a wheelchair, moving a mouse cursor to play chess using only his thoughts while his limbs remained still. He shared his reaction to the successful procedure, saying it was "really cool," "like a superpower," and "a choice that helps humanity."

China has thrown down the gauntlet against U.S. brain chip technology. The Chinese government recently approved an invasive BCI innovative device registered by startup Neuracle. While there have been many clinical trials for research purposes, this marks the world's first approval for hospitals to prescribe such devices to patients for a fee. After 36 clinical trials, quadriplegic patients successfully manipulated hand functions using only their thoughts within one month of surgery. Following advanced industries such as artificial intelligence and batteries, the U.S. and China are now engaged in fierce hegemonic competition in the BCI field as well.

Brain chips are not simply medical technology but strategic technology directly linked to national security. In the future, when combined with AI in military applications, weapon systems such as drones and missiles could be controlled by thought alone. This could upend the "chessboard of war." This is why China designated BCI as a key industry for the first time at the National People's Congress earlier this month. Amid the increasingly intense global competition for "brain hegemony," when will Korea be able to establish its presence?