China has made technological and medical history in the field of brain implants — a development that raises serious questions about the harm caused by Western hesitancy in the medical arena.
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A few days ago, Chinese authorities approved a invasive brain implant for commercial use — one that restores functional ability to paralyzed patients.
The implant consists of an electrode array embedded on the outer surface of the brain's cortex, where it captures the electrical signals the brain transmits. A sophisticated algorithm analyzes these brainwaves to determine which movement the user intends to make, and robotic gloves then move the user's hands to carry out the action.
This is exciting, life-changing news for many paralyzed individuals, who will regain a measure of their functional independence.
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What makes this event remarkable is the speed of the technology's approval process.
Similar — and in many respects far more advanced — technologies, such as those developed by Neuralink, have existed in the West for years, yet remain stuck in a lengthy bureaucratic queue awaiting FDA approval.
The Western culture of caution, which champions a zero-medical-and-legal-risk approach, means that many paralyzed patients continue to suffer year after year while the solution already exists — and some reach the end of their lives without ever benefiting from it.
The Chinese regulator takes a different approach, fast-tracking approval for any technology whose benefit has been demonstrated in trials and in which no exceptional risk has been identified.
Although this approach carries long-term risks, its advantages extend beyond simply bringing a product to market sooner: the large scale of adoption makes it possible to accumulate vast amounts of data in a short time, integrate improvements, and substantially reduce manufacturing costs.
Even if at first glance this case might appear to reflect Chinese recklessness rooted in disregard for citizens' safety, it may in fact point to a Western failure — one born of refusing to take bold, high-benefit steps simply to avoid risk at any cost.
Pictured: a thin brain implant by the American company Precision Neuroscience, which operates similarly to the Chinese product. Despite receiving limited FDA approval, it is still awaiting full clearance for home and commercial use.
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👋 Hi, I'm Shlomo Strauss — follow me for more content on science and technology.