BEIJING, CHINA - MARCH 19: NeuCyber NeuroTech rotating CEO Dr. Li Yuan speaks during a presentation of the Beinao-1, a semi-invasive brain-computer interface system, on display at a press conference at the Chinese Institute for Brain Research on March 19, 2026 in Beijing, China. Brain-computer interface, or BCI, is a technology that reads and decodes brain signals to command machines. China's government has been investing heavily in BCI research and development as a "national priority industry" and recently approved a brain implant for use in patients. Clinical trials with similar devices, including one made by NeuCyber NeuroTech at the China Institute of Brain Research, suggest the technology can help people with severe paralysis to regain some ability to communicate and move. The semi-invasive device, about the size of a coin and embedded in the skull, records the brain's electrical activity and sends the information to a computer. Several U.S. companies including Elon Musk's Neuralink have also had breakthroughs in brain technology though China is seen as pushing quickly toward commercialization. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)