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China approves the world’s first invasive brain-computer chip – here’s what’s next
Sitting in the courtyard of his home in China’s Henan province last October, Dong Hui decided to try holding a pen. Six years later, when he was paralyzed from the neck down in a car accident, he slowly wrote his name, “Thank you” and the date.
This breakthrough was made possible by a brain implant called NEO. In March, it became the world’s first invasive brain-computer interface approved for use beyond clinical trials. The approval is expected to accelerate China’s efforts to become a global leader in brain transplants.
Read the full story on how China reached this milestone – and what it means for the future of brain-computer interfaces.
-You Xiaoying
Must read
I’ve scoured the internet to find you today’s funniest/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 Nvidia is launching its first AI chip for personal computers
The RTX Spark will power laptops from Dell, HP, Microsoft and others. (BBC)
+ These are being designed specifically to run AI agents. (WSJ $)
+ The first devices are set to launch on Windows PC in the autumn. (cnbc)
+ This move is a challenge for Apple and Intel. (foot $)
2 US is stopping the export of AI chips to Chinese companies abroad
It has closed the loophole that allowed exports to Chinese subsidiaries. (reuters $)
+ Which would have enabled unlicensed access to Nvidia chips. (Al Jazeera)
+ Export restrictions have prompted China to redesign its chip industry. (MIT Technology Review)
3 surgeons have transplanted a pig’s liver and kidney into a living person
The organs of the clinically dead recipient functioned for approximately five days. (Nature)
+ Pig organs can reduce transplant shortage. (Guardian)
+Putin says organ transplants could provide immortality. (MIT Technology Review)
4 US, Australia and UK will protect undersea cables with underwater drones
They are developing the vehicle through the trilateral AUKUS defense pact. (cnn)
+ Undersea internet cables are facing increasing threats. (BBC)
5 A new study reveals the manipulative ‘dark patterns’ of chatbots
It found that they prey on emotions to encourage harmful behavior. (404 media)
+ They can influence voters in a better way than political advertisements. (MIT Technology Review)
6 Apple plans to disrupt the traditional glasses market
Its smart glasses target the broader glasses industry. (bloomberg $)
+ Smart glasses are also gaining popularity in warfare. (MIT Technology Review)
7 AI super PACs dueling in the midterms
Split between Anthropic and OpenAI, they are fighting to shape AI regulation. (NYT $)
8 SoftBank overtakes Toyota as Japan’s most valuable company
The AI boom pushed SoftBank’s market value above $305 billion. (bloomberg $)
9 A botnet of over 17 million devices has been destroyed in Europe
Dutch authorities linked the network to a Russian proxy service. (Ars Technica)
10 tech leaders uniting around a transhuman approach to AI
They are working towards a post-human agenda. (Guardian)
today’s thought
“It’s just secretly shoved down their throats. And it makes them nervous.”
-Legendary environmental activist Erin Brockovich explains “The Jim Acosta Show” Why are citizens angry about the expansion of data centers in their communities?
one more thing
What happens when you donate your body to science?
Rebecca George doesn’t care about vultures. At Western Carolina University’s body farm, forensic anthropologists monitor donors – sometimes for years – as they become nothing but bones.
Every year approximately 20,000 people donate their bodies for scientific research and education. In anatomy laboratories and body farms, they help train doctors, advance research, and teach scientists more about the human body long after death.
But what actually happens after donating a body? Read the full story to know.
-AW Ohlheiser
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